Patent · US Expired

Semiconductor die manufacture method to limit a voltage drop on a power plane thereof by noninvasively measuring voltages on a power plane

US6519744B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
4References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 12, 2000
Grant dateFeb 11, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 7, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R31/311
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method is provided for manufacturing a die. A supply voltage is provided to a power plane of a selected integrated circuit, formed in and on a semiconductor substrate, having a selected design, so that a respective test current flows through a plurality of test elements, of the selected integrated circuit, each being connected to a respective test point on the power plane, the test points being spaced from one another. A magnitude of each respective test current is detected. A respective test voltage is calculated at each respective test point utilizing the respective magnitude of the respective test current flowing through the respective test element connected to a respective test point. The respective test voltages are utilized to determine at which ones of the test points the respective test voltages are more than a predetermined maximum below a supply voltage. The electric design is altered to an altered electric design if any of the test voltages are below a predetermined minimum below the supply voltage. An integrated circuit having the altered design is then manufactured on another semiconductor substrate.

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