Electrical over stress (EOS) monitor

• US 20030101016A1
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Published: 05/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Kumar, Vasudevan Seshadhri, Maung, KyawSwa, Pooranakaran, Pooranampillai Samuel, Dey, Manoj Kumar
• Granted Patent: US 6,807,507 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/124
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/001 Measuring interference from external sources to, or emission from, the device under test, e.g. EMC, EMI, EMP or ESD testing measuring electromagnetic fields G01R29/08; circuits for generating HV pulses in dielectric strength testing G01R31/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3004 Current or voltage test

Abstract

An apparatus and associated method for testing an integrated circuit for electrical over stress includes a spike source configured to couple to an input of the integrated circuit, and responsively provide a signal spike to the input, and a current sensor configured to couple to a power supply. The power supply is coupled to the integrated circuit to provide power to the integrated circuit. The current sensor provides a sensor output related to the current supply to the integrated circuit from the power supply. The apparatus also includes test circuitry coupled to the sensor output configured to provide a failure output in response to a characteristic increase in power supply current sensed by the current sensor in response to an applied signal spike.

Claims

1. An apparatus for testing an integrated circuit, comprising:

a spike source configured to be coupled to an input of an integrated circuit and responsively provide a signal spike to the input;

a current sensor configured to couple to a power supply, the power supply coupled to the integrated circuit to provide power to the integrated circuit, the current sensor providing a sensor output related to the current supplied to the integrated circuit from the power supply; and

diagnostic circuitry coupled to the sensor output configured to provide a failure output in response to a characteristic increase in power supply current sensed by the current sensor in response to an applied signal spike.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the diagnostic circuitry further comprises:

a processor configured to receive a signal from the current sensor, compare the received signal against a threshold value, and provide an output signal based on the comparison.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the diagnostic circuitry further comprises:

a storage device configured to store the threshold value for the integrated circuit being tested and to provide the threshold value to the processor; and

wherein the processor is further configured to receive the threshold value from the storage device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the diagnostic circuitry further comprises:

an analog to digital converter configured between the current sensor and the processor, the analog to digital converter to provide a digital signal to the processor indicative of an analog signal received from the current sensor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the power supply is integrated into the apparatus coupled to the integrated circuit.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the current sensor is integrated into the apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the current sensor provides to the test circuitry the actual current.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the spike is applied directly to the integrated circuit.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the spike is applied to the power supply line.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the testing is automated.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the current sensor provides a signal indicative of the actual current to the test circuitry.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the spike source is further configured to provide a signal spike of one volt for the duration of one microsecond.

13. A method for testing an integrated circuit, comprising the steps of:

coupling the integrated circuit to the power supply;

applying a signal spike to an input of the integrated circuit;

sensing a power supply current from the power supply coupled to the integrated circuit; and

providing a failure output in response to a characteristic increase in the power supply current sensed in response to the applied signal spike.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the applying step applies a spike signal of one volt for one microsecond to the input of the integrated circuit.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

comparing the power supply current sensed by the current sensor with a threshold value; and

providing a failure output in response to a current sensed that exceeds the threshold value.

16. The method of claim 15:

wherein the comparing step compares the current sensed with a plurality of threshold values; and

wherein the failure output indicates for some of the threshold values that are exceeded that the integrated circuit may be useable.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the diagnostic means further comprises:

a processor means connected to the current sensing means and an output processing the signal from the current sensing means and comparing the signal with a threshold value.

19. The apparatus at claim 14 wherein the diagnostic means further comprises:

a storage means connected to the processing means storing the threshold value and providing the threshold value to the processing means.

17. An apparatus for testing an integrated circuit for electrical over stress, comprising:

a spike signal generating means for applying an electrical transient to an input of the integrated circuit;

a current sensing means for sensing a power supply current on a characteristic power supply line from a power supply to the integrated circuit;

a diagnostic means for providing a failure output in response to a signal received from the current sensing means indicating an increase in the power supply current sensed by the current sensing means in response to an applied electrical transient.