Diversified exerciser and accelerator

US9535113B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• David A. Grosch · Burlington, US
• Gregory V. Miller · South Burlington, US
• Brian C. Noble · Ingleby Barwick, GB
• Ann L. Swift · South Burlington, US
• Joel Thomas · Granby, CA
• Jody Van Horn · Underhill, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 21, 2016
• Grant date: Jan 3, 2017
• Expiry date: Jan 21, 2036

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01R31/2863
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program product for testing semiconductor products that combines multiple techniques. Depending on the requirements, different ones of the techniques are emphasized over the other techniques. The testing applies a technique to achieve a higher single defect acceleration parameter at the expense of a second parameter, thus enabling acceleration of defects that require higher voltage or higher temperature than a traditional “Burn In” can achieve, which defects would otherwise go unaccelerated. The method manages the adaptation of the different techniques, e.g., how it decides to favor one technique over the other, and how it carries out the favoring of one or more particular techniques in a given test situation. Thus, acceleration to defectivity (defect type and quantity) may be tailored in real time by uniquely leveraging the duration spent in a given section of a process flow based on the prevalence of unique defect types.