Integrated circuit with power supply test interface

• US 20020153876A1
• Filed: 04/04/2002
• Published: 10/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Schuttert, Rodger Frank, De Jong, Franciscus Gerardus Maria, De Wilde, Johannes
• Granted Patent: US 6,812,690 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/158.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2853 Electrical testing of internal connections or -isolation, e.g. latch-up or chip-to-lead connections G01R31/31717 takes precedence; test of chip-to-PCB or lead-to-PCB connections G01R31/66
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/315 by inductive methods

Abstract

An integrated circuit assembly contains a carrier and a semi-conductor integrated circuit chip 10. A current path on the carrier supplies power to power supply connection of the chip. A magnetic field sensor is provided on the carrier in a vicinity of the current path, for sensing a magnetic field generated by a current through the current path. The assembly contains test-accessible electronic interface to the magnetic field sensor, for testing presence of the current. Preferably the sensors are integrated on the carrier by depositing magneto resistive material and patterning the material so as to provide sensors in the vicinity of current paths. Also preferably, the carrier is an interposer 12 with connecting wiring, which is packaged with one or more integrated circuit chips before mounting the interposer on a printed circuit board 19.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit assembly, comprising

a semi-conductor integrated circuit chip with a power supply connection;

a carrier to which the integrated circuit chip is attached;

an external power supply terminal;

a current path on the carrier, connecting the external power supply terminal and the power supply connection;

a magnetic field sensor on the carrier in a vicinity of the current path, but outside the integrated circuit chip, for sensing a magnetic field generated by a current through the current path;

a test-accessible electronic interface to the magnetic field sensor, for testing presence of the current.

2. An integrated circuit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic field sensor comprises a magneto-resistive material deposited on the carrier.

3. An integrated circuit assembly according to claim 2, wherein the material has been patterned on the carrier in one or more regions in the vicinity of the current path.

4. An integrated circuit assembly according to claim 2 containing a plurality of magnetic field sensors of said magneto-resistive material deposited on the carrier in respective vicinities of respective current paths leading to respective power supply connections of the integrated circuit chip and/or further integrated circuit chips attached to the carrier.

5. An integrated circuit assembly according to claim 4, wherein the carrier comprises connecting conductors for establishing an electrically in series coupling of the magneto-resistive materials of the magnetic field sensors.

6. An integrated circuit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the carrier is an interposer, for mounting one or more integrated circuit chips connected together on an printed circuit board, the assembly comprising a package that encapsulates the integrated circuit chip and at least part of the interposer, including the sensor.

7. An integrated circuit assembly according to claim 6, the interface comprising a terminal on an outside of the package, the terminal being coupled to read out the sensor.

8. An integrated circuit assembly according to claim 1, wherein an electronic processing part of the interface is integrated in the integrated circuit chip.

9. An integrated circuit assembly according to claim 1, comprising a further integrated circuit chip mounted on the carrier, the interface comprising an electronic processing part integrated in the further integrated circuit chip for reading the magnetic field sensor and transferring a result of said reading to an output terminal of the carrier.

10. An integrated circuit assembly according to claim 9, comprising a further magnetic field sensor on the carrier in a vicinity of a further current path to a power supply connection of the further integrated circuit chip, for sensing a magnetic field generated by a current through the further current path.

11. An integrated circuit assembly according to claim 8, wherein the magnetic field sensors are coupled to a scan chain interface for serially reading out test result from respective ones of the magnetic field sensors.

12. An integrated circuit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the carrier contains a substrate, the current path comprising a through connection through the substrate, the sensor being provided in the vicinity of the through connection.

13. A method of testing an integrated circuit assembly with an integrated circuit chip attached to a carrier with current paths for giving access to circuits in the integrated circuit chip, comprising measuring an electric voltage representative of a magnetic field generated by a power supply current on the interposer, wherein a sensor for the magnetic field is used that is integrated on the carrier, outside the integrated circuit.

14. Carrier for mounting one or more integrated circuit chips, the carrier comprising

a current path;

a connection point for electrically connecting a power supply connection of one of the one or more integrated circuits to the current path;

a magnetic field sensor on the carrier in a vicinity of the current path, for sensing a magnetic field generated by a current through the current path;

a readout connection coupled to the magnetic field sensor.