Keithley

Keithley

Keithley, now part of Tektronix and the Fortive family of companies, is a manufacturer of precision electronic measurement instruments with a history dating back to 1946. Founded in Cleveland, Ohio, Keithley built its reputation on low-level electrical measurement — capturing current, voltage, resistance, and charge at sensitivities far beyond those of general-purpose instruments. The brand is particularly valued in research and development environments where accurate characterization of semiconductor devices, materials, and nanoscale phenomena is essential.

Keithley's product portfolio spans source measure units (SMUs), high-resolution digital multimeters, electrometers, picoammeters, nanovoltmeters, data acquisition systems, and switching/scanning accessories. Their instruments form the backbone of parametric semiconductor test, component characterization labs, and automated test systems used across electronics manufacturing and research.

Key Product Lines

• Source Measure Units (SMUs) — combine precision voltage/current sourcing and measurement for IV curve tracing and device characterization
• Digital Multimeters — 6.5- and 7.5-digit resolution instruments for high-accuracy bench and system measurement
• Electrometers and Picoammeters — ultra-low current measurement down to femtoampere levels for materials and device research
• Data Acquisition and Switching Systems — multi-channel scanning and signal routing for automated test setups
• DC Power Supplies — precision bench supplies for laboratory and component test applications

Industries Served

Keithley instruments are used by semiconductor manufacturers, university and government research laboratories, solar cell and photovoltaic developers, nanotechnology researchers, and electronics R&D teams. Key applications include semiconductor device characterization, photovoltaic cell testing, impedance and resistivity measurement, and automated production test for passive and active electronic components.