Patent · US Active

Fault rules files for testing an IC chip

US11429776B1 · kind B1 · utility

1Cited by
5References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 22, 2021
Grant dateAug 30, 2022
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 22, 2041

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R31/318342
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A fault rules engine generates a plurality of fault rules files. Each of the fault rules files is associated with a respective cell type of a plurality of cell types in an integrated circuit (IC) design, and each fault rules file of the plurality of fault rules files can include data quantifying a nominal delay for a given two-cycle test pattern of a set of two-cycle test patterns and data quantifying a delta delay for the given two-cycle test pattern corresponding to a given candidate defect of a plurality of candidate defects for a given cell type in the IC design. An IC test engine generates cell-aware test patterns based on the plurality of fault rules files to test a fabricated IC chip that is based on the IC design for defects corresponding to a subset of the plurality of candidate defects characterized in the plurality of fault rules files.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.