OMRON Corporation of Kyoto, western Japan globally released its new MOSFET relay module, the G3VM-21MT. The product is the first electronic component in the world to adopt a T-type circuit structure. With T-type circuit structure consisting of compact-size and longer-lifecycle solid-state relays that output signals using no physical contact, the relay module minimizes the leakage current that has long been a problem with semiconductor test equipment. G3VM-21MT allows high-precision measurement and improves productivity of electronic components.
G3VM-21MT enables switching measurement signals in test equipment mainly used to perform electrical tests for semiconductor devices. In addition to the MOSFET relay features of compact size and longer lifecycle, G3VM-21MT is the world’s first MOSFET relay module with T-type circuit structure which consists of three MOSFET relays that help reduce the leakage current to a minimal level without affecting test equipment’s inspection accuracy while allowing high-precision measurement and decreasing maintenance frequency of test equipment.
Amid the digital age where functions of electronic components are getting diversified and production volume is increasing, there is a growing need for higher performance of semiconductor test equipment. Mechanical reed relays, which have been used for a part that performs high-precision measurement in semiconductor test equipment, have extremely low leakage current but they require replacement on a regular basis, maybe several times for every single month due to wear and abrasion of the contacts that lead to affecting measurement accuracy. Such maintenance work may substantially affect production efficiency and so adoption of solid state relays has been long desired for their longer lifecycle. So far, MOS FET relays are considered not suitable for precise electrical tests due to technological difficulty to reduce leakage current in relation with its feature, and were not used in test equipment which requires high reliability.
To meet these needs, by utilizing OMRON’s technologies of electronic components cultivated over many years, the company has succeeded in commercializing the relay module product by adopting the T-type circuit structure and significantly reducing leakage current to a level lower than or equal to 1pA (one-trillionth part of the ampere). The challenge in reducing leakage current in a solid state relay as close to zero as possible eliminates leakage current problem and improves test equipment reliability. Moreover, by integrating long-life MOSFET relays into the relay module, it allows for shorter downtime for maintenance which has been a long-standing challenge for mechanical relays. With the launch of G3VM-21MT, OMRON will strive to contribute to improving the productivity of electronic components and support the evolution of digital transformation in society.
