Modular time division multiplexer: Efficient simultaneous characterization of fast and slow transients in multiple...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Measurement Science

Background:

• Measuring transient phenomena across diverse timescales (milliseconds to months) is challenging.
• Existing methods often require dedicated instruments for each sample or timescale, leading to inefficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce a Modular Time Division Multiplexer (MTDM) for efficient parallel measurement of samples with broad transient response times.
• Demonstrate the MTDM's capability to reduce measurement duration and equipment costs.

Main Methods:

• Designed a modular system combining high-speed and low-speed measurement instruments.
• Implemented a multiplexing strategy to handle both fast initial transients and slow subsequent decays across multiple samples.
• Tested the MTDM by measuring photoconductivity in amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide thin films.

Main Results:

• Successfully measured photoconductivity with 20 ms resolution for fast transients.
• Achieved uninterrupted parallel measurements of multiple samples for over 20 days.
• Demonstrated potential to reduce ensemble measurement time and equipment usage by up to an order of magnitude.

Conclusions:

• The MTDM is a versatile and cost-effective design concept for parallel transient measurements.
• It offers significant advantages in efficiency and resource utilization for research involving materials with wide-ranging response times.
• Potential applications include photovoltaics, batteries, and amorphous semiconductor research.