Integrated circuit containing standard logic cells and library-compatible, NCEM-enabled fill cells, including at least via-open-configured, GATE-short-configured, GATECNT-short-configured, and AA-short-configured, NCEM-enabled fill cells

US9627371B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• PDF SOLUTIONS, INC. · US

Inventors

• Stephen Lam · Merced, US
• Dennis Ciplickas · San Jose, US
• Tomasz Brozek · معلمی نژاد, US
• Jeremy Cheng · San Jose, US
• Simone Comensoli · Gandino, IT
• Indranil De · Alameda, US
• Kelvin Doong · Hsinchu, TW
• Hans Eisenmann · Tutzing, DE
• Timothy Fiscus · Beaver, US
• Jonathan Haigh · Pittsburgh, US
• Christopher Hess · Belmont, US
• John Kibarian · Los Altos Hills, US
• Sherry Lee · San Jose, US
• Marci Liao · Santa Clara, US
• Sheng-Che Lin · Hsinchu, TW
• Hideki Matsuhashi · Santa Clara, US
• Kimon Michaels · Monte Sereno, US
• Conor O'Sullivan · Campbell, US
• Markus Rauscher · Munich, DE
• Vyacheslav Rovner · Pittsburgh, US
• Andrzej Strojwas · Pittsburgh, US
• Marcin Strojwas · Pittsburgh, US
• Carl Taylor · Pittsburgh, US
• Rakesh Vallishayee · Dublin, US
• Larg Weiland · Hollister, US
• Nobuharu Yokoyama · Tokyo, JP

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 27, 2016
• Grant date: Apr 18, 2017
• Expiry date: Dec 27, 2036

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10D84/85
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

An IC includes logic cells, selected from a standard cell library, and fill cells, configured for compatibility with the standard logic cells. The fill cells contain structures configured to obtain in-line data via non-contact electrical measurements (“NCEM”). The IC includes such NCEM-enabled fill cells configured to enable detection and/or measurement of a variety of open-circuit and short-circuit failure modes, including at least one via-open-related failure mode, one GATE-short-related failure mode, one GATECNT-short-related failure mode, and one AA-short-related failure mode.