Patent · US Active

Tools and methods for yield-aware semiconductor manufacturing process target generation

US8713511B1 · kind B1 · utility

9Cited by
405References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 17, 2012
Grant dateApr 29, 2014
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 17, 2032

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L2924/0002
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An integrated circuit having at least one array of circuit cells, each circuit cell having a plurality of transistors each performing a specified function, the transistors having predefined performance parameter margins for the specified function, the circuit cells designed by providing at least one operating condition for the circuit cell; providing a value of sigma over a predefined range; determining for each transistor, at least one variable transistor characteristic, which is defined by a semiconductor process that results in transistors having such transistor characteristics; providing an array of instances based upon the value of the sigma and using a design of experiments factorial calculation; providing a metric of interest by which to deter-nine pass/fail instances; extracting individual pass/fail instances for the metric of interest; and determining a yield for the array of circuit cells for the targeted operating condition.

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