SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, DETECTION METHOD AND PROGRAM

• US 20130013247A1
• Filed: 03/14/2011
• Published: 01/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyushu Institute of Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, National University Corporation, Tokyo Metropolitan Public University Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyushu Institute of Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, National University Corporation, Tokyo Metropolitan University Corporation
• Inventors: Sato, Yasuo, Kajihara, Seiji, Inoue, Michiko, Yoneda, Tomokazu, Yi, Hyunbean, Miura, Yukiya
• Granted Patent: US 9,316,684 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/117
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2856 Internal circuit aspects, e.g. built-in test features; Test chips; Measuring material aspects, e.g. electro migration [EM]
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2884 using dedicated test connectors, test elements or test circuits on the IC under test G01R31/2855 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3016 Delay or race condition test, e.g. race hazard test

Abstract

A semiconductor device and the like that can determine the performance of a semiconductor integrated circuit with higher accuracy even when test environment fluctuates. The semiconductor device detects degradation of the semiconductor integrated circuit, including measurement unit that measures temperature and voltage, decision unit that judges whether the test is executed within an allowable test timing in the detection target circuit portion at each test operation frequency and decides a maximum test operation frequency and calculation unit that converts a maximum test operation frequency into that at a standard temperature and voltage and calculates a degradation amount. The semiconductor integrated circuit has a monitor block circuit that monitors the values for the measurement unit to measure temperature and voltage. The measurement unit has estimation unit that estimates temperature and voltage of a detection target circuit portion based on the monitored values. The calculation unit uses the estimated temperature and voltage.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device for detecting degradation which occurs in a semiconductor integrated circuit having a detection target circuit portion where a test is executed, comprising:

a measurement unit that measures a temperature and a voltage of where the detection target circuit portion is;

a decision unit that judges whether the test is executed within an allowable test timing in the detection target circuit portion at each test operation frequency or not and decides a maximum test operation frequency, of where the detection target circuit is, at which the test can be executed; and

a calculation unit that converts the maximum test operation frequency decided by the decision unit based on the temperature and the voltage measured by the measurement unit into a maximum test operation frequency at a standard temperature and a standard voltage, and calculates, based on a converted maximum test operation frequency, a degradation amount which indicates degree of degradation;

wherein the semiconductor integrated circuit has a monitor block circuit that monitors a value used by the measurement unit to measure the temperature and the voltage;

the measurement unit has an estimation unit that estimates a temperature and a voltage of where the detection target circuit portion is, every time a test is executed, based on a monitored value by the monitor block circuit which operated at a temperature and a voltage of where the detection target circuit portion is; and

the calculation unit uses the temperature and the voltage estimated by the estimation unit as the temperature and the voltage measured by the measurement unit and converts the maximum test operation frequency decided by the decision unit into the maximum test operation frequency at the standard temperature and the standard voltage.

2. The semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1, further comprising n (n is an integer equal to or more than 2) of the monitor block circuits,

wherein the measurement unit measures a measured frequency F_i (i is an integer equal to or less than n) obtained as an oscillation number of times at each monitor block circuit within a predetermined time;

and

the estimation unit estimates the temperature T and the voltage V of where the detection target circuit portion is by calculating coefficients α

_i, β

, α

′

_i, and β

′

in an equation (eq1);

3. The semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 2,

wherein the estimation unit estimates the temperature T and the voltage V of where the detection target circuit portion is by dividing a temperature range or a voltage range into pluralities of divisions and calculating the coefficients α

_i, β

, α

′

_i, and β

′

in an equation (eq1) for each of the divisions, or by dividing a temperature range into pluralities of divisions and calculating the coefficients α

_i, and β

in an equation (eq1) for each of the divisions with dividing a voltage range into pluralities of divisions and calculating the coefficients α

′

_i, and β

′

in an equation (eq1) for each of the divisions.

4. The semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 2,

wherein the estimation unit estimates the temperature T and the voltage V of where the detection target circuit portion is by using a frequency difference Δ

F_i which is a difference between the measured frequency F_i and a first measured frequency F_i0, instead of using the measured frequency F_i.

5. The semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1, further comprising a storing unit that stores a combination of measured values measured by the measurement unit and a maximum test operation frequency decided by the decision unit,

wherein the calculation unit uses measured values and a maximum test operation frequency stored by the storing unit.

6. The semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 5,

wherein the maximum test operation frequency is decided through calculation to remove random noise based on pluralities of maximum test operation frequencies stored by the storing unit at different tests.

7. The semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1,

wherein the measurement unit measures an initial temperature and an initial voltage in a test at a predetermined test operation frequency;

and

the decision unit decides a maximum test operation frequency candidate at the initial temperature and the initial voltage using the standard temperature, the standard voltage and a maximum test operation frequency at a previous time, and decides, by decreasing a frequency after increasing or by only increasing or only decreasing a frequency, a maximum test operation frequency at which the test can be executed.

8. The semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1,

wherein tests are prepared for each of different lengths of paths to be tested.

9. The semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1,

wherein the test or an order of the test is modifiable according to an allowable test timing and/or the degradation amount.

10. A semiconductor device for detecting variability which occurs in pluralities of same kinds of semiconductor integrated circuits where a test is executed, comprising:

a measurement unit that measures a temperature and a voltage where the detection target circuit portion is;

a decision unit that judges whether the test is executed within an allowable test timing in the detection target circuit portion at each test operation frequency or not and decides a maximum test operation frequency at which the test can be executed; and

a calculation unit that converts the maximum test operation frequency decided by the decision unit based on the temperature and the voltage measured by the measurement unit into a maximum test operation frequency at a standard temperature and a standard voltage, and calculates, based on a converted maximum test operation frequency, a variability amount which indicates degree of variability;

wherein the semiconductor integrated circuit has a monitor block circuit that monitors a value used by the measurement unit to measure the temperature and the voltage;

the measurement unit has an estimation unit that estimates a temperature and a voltage of where the detection target circuit portion is, every time a test is executed, based on a monitored value by the monitor block circuit which operated at a temperature and a voltage of where the detection target circuit portion is; and

the calculation unit uses the temperature and the voltage estimated by the estimation unit as the temperature and the voltage measured by the measurement unit and converts the maximum test operation frequency decided by the decision unit into the maximum test operation frequency at the standard temperature and the standard voltage.

11. A detection method for detecting degradation which occurs in a semiconductor integrated circuit or variability which occurs in pluralities of same kinds of semiconductor integrated circuits,

wherein the characteristic of relation among an operation frequency, temperature and a voltage of a detection target circuit portion of the semiconductor integrated circuit is approximated by an approximation formula,

the method comprising:

measuring temperature and voltage, using a measurement unit;

deciding a maximum test operation frequency at which a test can be executed within an allowable test timing in a detection target circuit portion of the semiconductor integrated circuit, using a decision unit; and

calculating a maximum test operation frequency at a standard temperature and a standard voltage using the approximation formula, using the temperature, the voltage and the maximum test operation frequency and calculating, based on the maximum test operation frequency calculated, a degradation amount which indicates degree of degradation or a variability amount which indicates degree of variability, using a calculating unit.

12. The detection method of claim 11,

wherein the semiconductor integrated circuit has n (n is an integer equal to or more than 2) monitor block circuits that monitors a value used by the measurement unit to measure the temperature and the voltage;

the measuring includes;

measuring a measured frequency F_i (i is an integer equal to or less than n) obtained as an oscillation number of times at each monitor block circuit within a predetermined time; and

estimating temperature T and voltage V of where the detection target circuit portion is by calculating coefficients α

_i, β

, a′

_i, and β

′

in an equation (eq2);

13. A program capable of causing a computer to execute the detection method of claim 11.