Measuring and identifying analog characteristics of a microelectronic component at a wafer level and a platform level

• US 20070229106A1
• Filed: 03/29/2006
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Kenton, Jonathan, Wong, Iris, Kelkar, Mukul, Volk, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 7,705,620 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/762.50
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318511 Wafer Test

Abstract

A die includes circuit components to perform normal operations and duplicated components of selective ones of the circuit components. Each end of the duplicated components is connected to a pad on the die to allow access by measurement devices. The measurement devices apply electricity to the pads to measure analog characteristics of the duplicated components.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

creating a duplicated component of a circuit component in a same die as the circuit component;

electrically connecting ends of the duplicated component to pads on the die; and

applying electricity to the pads to measure characteristics of the duplicated component.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein electrically connecting further comprises:

directly connecting each of the ends of the duplicated component to one of the pads through a multiplexer, the multiplexer forming a signal path if the duplicated component is selected for measurement.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

triggering a test mode before applying the electricity by performing a configuration write into Design for Testability Unit configuration registers.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

triggering a test mode when a number of the pads on the die are in a predefined state or a predefined sequence of states.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

calibrating a loss in a signal path defined by the duplicated component by subjecting the duplicated component to a four-point probing.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

calibrating a loss in a signal path defined by the duplicated component by first measuring a voltage drop in a short circuit connected in lieu of the duplicated component.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein electrically connecting further comprises:

electrically connecting the ends of the duplicated component to the pads that are shareable with other circuit components in the die.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein applying electricity further comprises:

measuring analog characteristics of the duplicated component.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein applying electricity further comprises:

applying electricity to the pads at a wafer level and at a platform level.

10. The method of claim 1 creating a duplicated component further comprises:

creating at least one component from the following;

a resistor, a transistor, a diode, and a capacitor.

11. An apparatus comprising:

circuit components on a die to perform normal operations;

pads on the die to connect the circuit components to measurement devices;

duplicated components of selected ones of the circuit components, wherein the duplicated components are connected to the pads.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

multiplexers coupled between the duplicated components and the pads, each of the multiplexer connecting to an end of the duplicated components to select one of the duplicated components for measurement by the measurement devices.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:

device selector logic coupled to each of the multiplexers to cause the multiplexer to select one of the duplicated components.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein duplicated components comprise:

at least one component from the following;

a resistor, a transistor, a diode, and a capacitor.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the pads further comprises:

two of the pads connecting to each end of a current path defined by the selected duplicated component to allow sensing the voltage at each end of the selected duplicated component during the measurement.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

buffers coupled between the pads and the circuit components, wherein the buffers are tristated during measuring of the duplicated components.

17. A system comprising:

a plurality of electronic devices, at least one of the electronic devices comprising a processor on a die, the die comprising;

circuit components to perform normal operations;

pads on the die to provide the measurement device access to the circuit components; and

duplicated components of selected ones of the circuit components, wherein the duplicated components are connected to the pads.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

multiplexers coupled between the duplicated components and the pads, each of the multiplexer connecting to an end of the duplicated components to select one of the duplicated components for measurement by the measurement devices.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the pads further comprise:

two of the pads connecting to each end of a current path defined by the selected duplicated component to allow sensing the voltage at each end of the selected duplicated component during the measurement.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the duplicated components comprise:

at least one component from the following;

a resistor, a transistor, a diode, and a capacitor