A versatile low-cost experimental set-up and measurement protocol for temperature dependent electrical measurements in the temperature range 100 K – 500 K

Abstract A versatile low-cost experimental set-up and adjoining measurement protocol for continuous temperature dependent electrical measurements in the temperature range of 100 K – 500 K is described. The set-up can perform continuous measurements of DC and AC electrical properties of a sample under test (SUT) as a function of its temperature in the mentioned temperature range without any artefacts. The SUT can be in the form of film, or, powders pressed into pellets. The set-up comprises of automatic data acquisition system equipped with LabVIEW programme for real time data acquisition during measurements. The errors involved in the measurements using the set-up have been calculated by measuring the temperature dependent resistance of standard Pt100 RTD temperature sensor and from temperature response of dielectric constant of standard polycrystalline BaTiO3. The high measurement accuracy of the present set-up in artefact-free AC and DC electrical measurements has been demonstrated by measuring the temperature response of the electrical properties of standard polycrystalline BaTiO3, standard polycrystalline SnO2 and nano polycrystalline SnO2 samples.