Die-level process monitor and method
US7239163B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 17, 2005 |
| Grant date | Jul 3, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 17, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01R31/2884
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A die-level process monitor (DLPM) provides a means for independently determining whether an IC malfunction is a result of the design or the manufacturing processing and further for gathering data on specific process parameters. The DLPM senses parameter variations that result from manufacturing process drift and outputs a measure of the process parameter. The DLPM will typically sense the mismatch of process parameters between two or more test devices as a measure of process variation between a like pair of production devices. The DLPM may be used as a diagnostic tool to determine why an IC failed to perform within specification or to gather statistics on measured process parameters for a given foundry or process.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.