Method and system for characterizing coupling capacitance between integrated circuit interconnects

US6333680A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Howard H. Smith · Beacon, US
• Alina Deutsch · Chappaqua, US
• Ching-Lung Tong · Highland Mills, US
• Rolf H. Nijhuis · Pleasant Valley, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 2, 2000
• Grant date: Dec 25, 2001
• Expiry date: Oct 2, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01R31/66
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is a method of characterizing capacitances of a plurality of integrated circuit interconnects. The method includes coupling a first oscillator to a first integrated circuit interconnect and coupling a second oscillator to a second integrated circuit interconnect. The first oscillator is activated to characterize the sum of (i) coupling capacitance between the first integrated-circuit interconnect and the second integrated-circuit interconnect and (ii) ground capacitance between the first integrated-circuit interconnect and a ground. In addition, both of the first oscillator and the second oscillator are activated to characterize the ground capacitance between the first integrated-circuit interconnect and the ground.