System and method for gradient thermal analysis by induced stimulus
US8797052B2 · kind B2 · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 12, 2010 |
| Grant date | Aug 5, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 19, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01R31/287
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A thermal gradient is induced in a device-under-test (DUT) and used to determine the location of a defect. In one embodiment, a laser creates a moving thermal gradient from a test site on the DUT and a respective time of flight for the thermal gradient to trigger a condition associated with the defect is determined. Repeating the time of flight testing at additional test site provides information used to trilaterate the defect in three dimensions. Alternately, a static thermal gradient is induced across at least a portion of the DUT along a first axis. The thermal gradient is incrementally walked along the first axis until the condition associated with the defect is triggered, thereby defining a first region. The thermal gradient is then induced along a second axis of the DUT and the process is repeated to define a second region. The location of the defect is determined to be the intersection of the first region with the second region.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.