Patent · US Expired

Analysis module, integrated circuit, system and method for testing an integrated circuit

US7151387B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
9References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 26, 2003
Grant dateDec 19, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 13, 2025

Classification

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

Abstract

A system (5) for testing and failure analysis of an integrated circuit (10) is provided using failure analysis tools (40, 50, 60). An analysis module (30) having a number of submodule test structures is incorporated into the integrated circuit design. The test structures are chosen in dependence upon the failure analysis tools (40, 50, 60) to be used. The rest of the integrated circuit contains function modules (20) arranged to provide normal operating functions. By analysing the submodule test structures of the analysis module (30) using the failure analysis tools (40, 50, 60), physical parameters of the integrated circuit (10) are obtained and used in subsequent testing of the function modules (20) by the failure analysis tools (40, 50, 60), thus simplifying the testing of the integrated circuit (10) and reducing the time taken to perform a failure analysis procedure.

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