Apparatus and Method For Determining Reliability Of An Integrated Circuit
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for determining the reliability of a chip, comprising:
- providing the chip in its intended application environment;
determining a measurement quantity representing the state of one or a plurality of electrical connections in the chip within the application environment of the chip; and
outputting a signal if the determined measurement quantity does not correspond to a predefined criterion.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In an embodiment, an integrated circuit or chip is supplied to its intended application and a measurement quantity representing the state of one or a plurality of electrical connections in the chip is determined within the application environment of the chip and, if the measurement quantity determined does not correspond to predefined criteria, a corresponding signal is output.
24 Citations
37 Claims
-
1. A method for determining the reliability of a chip, comprising:
-
providing the chip in its intended application environment; determining a measurement quantity representing the state of one or a plurality of electrical connections in the chip within the application environment of the chip; and outputting a signal if the determined measurement quantity does not correspond to a predefined criterion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A method for determining an item of information with regard to the state of an electrical connection in a chip having a plurality of metallization levels and at least one via connection between two metallization levels, the method comprising:
-
determining a measurement quantity with regard to a selected electrical connection structure containing at least one via connection; and outputting a signal if the determined measurement quantity does not correspond to predefined criteria. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. An apparatus for determining the reliability of a chip supplied to its intended application and within the application environment of the chip, comprising:
a measuring circuit determining a measurement quantity representing a state of an electrical connection in the chip, said circuit outputting a corresponding signal if the measurement quantity does not correspond to predefined criteria. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
22. An apparatus for determining an item of information with regard to the state of an electrical connection in a chip having a plurality of metallization levels and at least one via connection between two metallization levels, said apparatus comprising:
a measuring circuit determining a measurement quantity with regard to a selected electrical connection structure containing at least one via connection, the measuring circuit outputting a corresponding signal if the measurement quantity does not correspond to predefined criteria. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
29. A semiconductor chip, comprising:
-
an electrical interconnect system; and an electrical connection structure for testing the reliability of the chip, said structure being arranged outside the electrical interconnect system. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
-
-
32. An apparatus, comprising:
-
a chip supplied to its intended application; and a measuring circuit, said circuit determining a measurement quantity representing a state of an electrical connection in the chip, said measuring circuit outputting a corresponding signal if the measurement quantity does not correspond to a predefined criteria. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
-
Specification