Failure analysis vehicle for yield enhancement with self test at speed burnin capability for reliability testing
US7420229B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 25, 2006 |
| Grant date | Sep 2, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 3, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG05B23/0256
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A test vehicle for evaluating a manufacturing process for integrated circuits that uses a more space efficient layout of library driving cells arranged to produce circuits that exercise many interconnections that may be designed at the minimum design parameters of a manufacturing process. The cells can be configured to operate as ring oscillators increasing the effective circuit frequency of the test module allowing higher frequency circuit testing, and shortening the time it takes to perform life cycle testing. Visibly marking cells, combined with electrically isolating error prone circuit segments makes, identifying defects much more efficient. The accessibility of many testing methods allows quick location of root cause failures, which allows improvements to be made to the manufacturing process.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.