Integrated circuit chip design flow methodology including insertion of on-chip or scribe line wireless process monitoring and feedback circuitry

US8097474B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Theodoros E. Anemikos · Colchester, US
• Ezra D. B. Hall · South Burlington, US
• Sebastian T. Ventrone · South Burlington, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 24, 2008
• Grant date: Jan 17, 2012
• Expiry date: Mar 8, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P90/02
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Disclosed are embodiments of a design and manufacturing system and an associated method that allow for design analysis and for insertion, during wafer manufacture, of intra-process monitoring circuitry. These embodiments use a library of pre-qualified intra-process monitoring circuits and a cross-correlation table that links different monitoring circuits with different IC chip components. Specifically, these embodiments analyze integrated circuit chip design data to identify the components designed into the chip. Then, one or more intra-process monitoring circuits are selected from the library and the design data is modified to include the selected monitoring circuit(s).