Integrated circuit device characterization

• US 20020127744A1
• Filed: 03/14/2002
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donald S. Gardner
• Original Assignee: Donald S. Gardner
• Inventors: Gardner, Donald S.
• Granted Patent: US 6,789,236 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/11
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/26 Measuring inductance or capacitance; Measuring quality factor, e.g. by using the resonance method; Measuring loss factor; Measuring dielectric constants ; Measuring impedance or related variables
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/28 Measuring attenuation, gain, phase shift or derived characteristics of electric four pole networks, i.e. two-port networks; Measuring transient response in line transmission systems H04B3/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2822 of microwave or radiofrequency circuits of attenuation, gain, e.g. using network analyzers G01R27/28
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2837 Characterising or performance testing, e.g. of frequency response transient response G01R27/28
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2851 Testing of integrated circuits [IC] G01R31/317 takes precedence; testing individual devices G01R31/26; testing printed circuits G01R31/2801
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/316 Testing of analog circuits G01R31/2851 takes precedence

Abstract

One or more electrical characteristics of an integrated circuit device are measured at one or more relatively lower frequencies. One or more parameters of the integrated circuit device are measured at one or more frequencies higher than the one or more relatively lower frequencies. One or more parameters of the integrated circuit device are calculated based on the measured one or more electrical characteristics. The integrated circuit device is characterized based on the calculated one or more parameters and the measured one or more parameters.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) measuring one or more electrical characteristics of an integrated circuit device at one or more relatively lower frequencies;

(b) measuring one or more parameters of the integrated circuit device at one or more frequencies higher than the one or more relatively lower frequencies;

(c) calculating one or more parameters of the integrated circuit device based on the measured one or more electrical characteristics; and

(d) characterizing the integrated circuit device based on the calculated one or more parameters and the measured one or more parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the measuring (a) comprises measuring one or more electrical characteristics using an impedance analyzer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the measuring (a) comprises driving a shield of each of a plurality of probe lines to compensate for impedance of the probe lines.

4. The method of claim 3, comprising electrically isolating each shield.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the measuring (a) comprises conductively coupling each shield to one another at or near the integrated circuit device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the conductively coupling comprises coupling each shield to one another at or near an end of each shield with a foil jumper.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the measuring (a) comprises measuring a value for one or more circuit elements of an electrical model of the integrated circuit device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the measuring (b) comprises measuring one or more parameters using a network analyzer.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the calculating (c) comprises calculating one or more parameters based on the measured value for one or more circuit elements of the electrical model.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the measuring (b) comprises measuring scattering parameters of the integrated circuit device;

and

wherein the calculating (c) comprises calculating scattering parameters of the integrated circuit device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the characterizing (d) comprises comparing the calculated one or more parameters to the measured one or more parameters and updating one or more values for an electrical model of the integrated circuit device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the characterizing (d) comprises iteratively comparing the calculated one or more parameters to the measured one or more parameters, updating one or more values for an electrical model of the integrated circuit device, and recalculating one or more parameters of the integrated circuit device based on the updated one or more values for the electrical model until the recalculated one or more parameters and the measured one or more parameters satisfy a predetermined condition.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, comprising a plurality of probes each coupled to a respective line coupled to the impedance analyzer, the impedance analyzer to drive a shield of each line to compensate for impedance of the line.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein each shield is electrically isolated.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein each shield is conductively coupled to one another at or near the integrated circuit device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, comprising one or more foil jumpers to couple each shield to another shield at or near an end of each shield.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, the impedance analyzer to measure a value for one or more circuit elements of an electrical model of the integrated circuit device.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, the data processing system to calculate one or more parameters based on the measured value for one or more circuit elements of the electrical model.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, the network analyzer to measure scattering parameters of the integrated circuit device and the data processing system to calculate scattering parameters of the integrated circuit device.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, the data processing system to compare the calculated one or more parameters to the measured one or more parameters and to update one or more values for an electrical model of the integrated circuit device.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, the data processing system to iteratively compare the calculated one or more parameters to the measured one or more parameters, to update one or more values for an electrical model of the integrated circuit device, and to recalculate one or more parameters of the integrated circuit device based on the updated one or more values for the electrical model until the recalculated one or more parameters and the measured one or more parameters satisfy a predetermined condition.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, the measuring means (a) for measuring a value for one or more circuit elements of an electrical model of the integrated circuit device.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, the calculating means (c) for calculating one or more parameters based on the measured value for one or more circuit elements of the electrical model.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, the measuring means (b) for measuring scattering parameters of the integrated circuit device and the calculating means (c) for calculating scattering parameters of the integrated circuit device.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, the characterizing means (d) for comparing the calculated one or more parameters to the measured one or more parameters and for updating one or more values for an electrical model of the integrated circuit device.

28. The apparatus of claim 23, the characterizing means (d) for iteratively comparing the calculated one or more parameters to the measured one or more parameters, for updating one or more values for an electrical model of the integrated circuit device, and for recalculating one or more parameters of the integrated circuit device based on the updated one or more values for the electrical model until the recalculated one or more parameters and the measured one or more parameters satisfy a predetermined condition.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, comprising a plurality of probes each coupled to a respective line coupled to the impedance analyzer, the impedance analyzer to drive a shield of each line to compensate for impedance of the line.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein each shield is electrically isolated.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein each shield is conductively coupled to one another at or near the integrated circuit device.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, comprising one or more foil jumpers to couple each shield to another shield at or near an end of each shield.

34. The apparatus of claim 29, the network analyzer to measure scattering parameters of the integrated circuit device;

and

the data processing system to calculate scattering parameters of the integrated circuit device.

35. The apparatus of claim 29, the data processing system to iteratively compare the calculated one or more parameters to the measured one or more parameters, to update one or more values for the electrical model of the integrated circuit device, and to recalculate one or more parameters of the integrated circuit device based on the updated one or more values for the electrical model until the recalculated one or more parameters and the measured one or more parameters satisfy a predetermined condition.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, the measuring means (b) for measuring scattering parameters of the integrated circuit device and the calculating means (c) for calculating scattering parameters of the integrated circuit device.

38. The apparatus of claim 36, the characterizing means (d) for iteratively comparing the calculated one or more parameters to the measured one or more parameters, for updating one or more values for the electrical model of the integrated circuit device, and for recalculating one or more parameters of the integrated circuit device based on the updated one or more values for the electrical model until the recalculated one or more parameters and the measured one or more parameters satisfy a predetermined condition.

13. An apparatus comprising:

an impedance analyzer to measure one or more electrical characteristics of an integrated circuit device at one or more relatively lower frequencies;

a network analyzer to measure one or more parameters of the integrated circuit device at one or more frequencies higher than the one or more relatively lower frequencies; and

a data processing system to calculate one or more parameters of the integrated circuit device based on the measured one or more electrical characteristics and to characterize the integrated circuit device based on the calculated one or more parameters and the measured one or more parameters.

23. An apparatus comprising:

(a) means for measuring one or more electrical characteristics of an integrated circuit device at one or more relatively lower frequencies;

(b) means for measuring one or more parameters of the integrated circuit device at one or more frequencies higher than the one or more relatively lower frequencies;

(c) means for calculating one or more parameters of the integrated circuit device based on the measured one or more electrical characteristics; and

(d) means for characterizing the integrated circuit device based on the calculated one or more parameters and the measured one or more parameters.

29. An apparatus comprising:

an impedance analyzer to measure a value for one or more circuit elements of an electrical model of an integrated circuit device at one or more relatively lower frequencies;

a network analyzer to measure one or more parameters of the integrated circuit device at one or more frequencies higher than the one or more relatively lower frequencies; and

a data processing system to calculate one or more parameters of the integrated circuit device based on the measured value for one or more circuit elements of the electrical model, to compare the calculated one or more parameters to the measured one or more parameters, and to update one or more values for the electrical model of the integrated circuit device.

36. An apparatus comprising:

(a) means for measuring a value for one or more circuit elements of an electrical model of an integrated circuit device at one or more relatively lower frequencies;

(b) means for measuring one or more parameters of the integrated circuit device at one or more frequencies higher than the one or more relatively lower frequencies;

(c) means for calculating one or more parameters of the integrated circuit device based on the measured value for one or more circuit elements of the electrical model;

(d) means for comparing the calculated one or more parameters to the measured one or more parameters; and

(e) means for updating one or more values for the electrical model of the integrated circuit device.