Measurement of the switching speed of single FET's

The measurement of the signal delay through a single FET as an estimate of its performance is discussed. It is shown that instead of relying on small ac signals for performance characterization, delays of full logic swings can be accurately measured with conventional electronic equipment. The measurement apparatus is described, and data obtained with advanced submicron FET's is presented, showing that device switching delays can be measured with resolution on the order of 10 ps. Such device delay measurements can be of use in evaluating technologies, and diagnosing performance problems.