Pulse circuit using a transmission line

• US 5,519,327 A
• Filed: 06/10/1994
• Issued: 05/21/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VLSI Technology, Inc. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: VLSI Technology, Inc. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Consiglio, Rosario J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wieder, Kenneth A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DO, DIEP N
• Application Number:
  US08/258,158
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 324/600, 324/602, 324/649, 324/522, 324/523, 324/534, 324/676, 324/678, 324/765, 324/766, 324/767, 333/20
• US Class Current: 324/678
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/002 where the device under test is an electronic circuit

Abstract

A pulse discharge circuit for pulse testing an integrated-circuit device under test (DUT) is provided which uses three separate switching relays S1, S2, and S3, which are operated in a predetermined sequence. For charging the capacitance of a pulse-forming transmission line, the relay contact of S1 is closed while the relay contacts of relays S2, S3 are both open. For discharging the charge on the transmission line to form a test pulse, the relay contact of S1 is first opened, and the relay contact of S2 is then closed while the relay contact of S3 is open. After each test pulse is generated and applied to a DUT, the condition of the DUT is determined by a leakage current measurement. The relay contact S2 is opened to isolate the pulse generator circuit and then the relay contact S3 is closed.

Claims

1. A pulse discharge circuit for pulse testing an integrated-circuit device under test (DUT), comprising:

a first switch having a closed position for connecting a high voltage source to a first terminal of a transmission line and providing a conductive path for charging the transmission line to a charged state;

said first switch having an open position for electrically isolating the high voltage source from the first terminal of the charged transmission line;

a second switch having an open position for electrically isolating an integrated circuit DUT from the first terminal of the transmission line,

said second switch having a closed position for connecting the charged transmission line, which is isolated from the high voltage source by the first switch, to the integrated-circuit DUT and providing a pulse to said DUT from the charged transmission line;

means for measuring the reflected voltage and reflected current from said DUT at the first terminal of the transmission line.

2. The system of claim 1 including means for subsequently testing leakage of the DUT subsequent to a pulse being provided to the DUT to determine the condition of the DUT.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the means for subsequently testing leakage of the DUT includes:

said second switch in an open position for isolating the transmission line from the DUT;

a third switch which provides means for connecting a sense measuring unit (SMU) to said DUT wherein said SMU provides a voltage and a current to said DUT;

means for determining the voltage and current from the sense measuring unit to determine the leakage current of said DUT.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the means for connecting the sense measuring unit (SMU) to said DUT includes setting the third switch in a closed position.

5. A pulse discharge system for testing an integrated- circuit device under test (DUT), comprising:

a HV terminal adapted to having a high voltage source connected thereto;

a series resistor connected in series with said HV terminal;

a first switch S1, having a first terminal connected in series with said series resistor and having a second terminal;

a second switch S2, having a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the first switch and having a second terminal connected through a probe to a first terminal of a DUT;

a transmission line having a first terminal connected to the second terminal of said first switch S1 and having a second terminal connected to a ground potential;

a controller including means for opening the second switch S2 to isolate the DUT from the transmission line;

said controller including means for closing the first switch S1 to charge the transmission line from the HV source, and including means for opening the first switch S1 to isolate the HV terminal from the transmission line;

said controller including means for closing the second switch S2 to connect the charged transmission line to the probe to provide a discharge pulse to the DUT;

voltage sensor means coupled to the first terminal of said transmission line for measuring any reflected voltage which propagates from the DUT as a result of the pulse applied to the DUT;

current sensor means coupled to the first terminal of said transmission line for measuring any reflected current which propagates from the DUT as a result of the pulse applied to the DUT.

6. The system of claim 5 including means for dividing the measured reflected voltage as a function of time from the DUT by the measured reflected current as a function of time from the DUT to provide dynamic impedance for the point of the DUT being contacted with the probe.

7. The system of claim 5 including a leakage testing circuit including a third switch S3 having a first terminal connected to the first terminal of the DUT and having a second terminal;

a sense measuring unit (SMU) connected to said second terminal of said third switch S3 for providing a voltage and current to said DUT;

controller means for initially opening the switch S2 to isolate the DUT from the transmission line;

said controller means including means for subsequently closing switch S3 to apply a voltage and current from said SMU to said DUT;

means for determining the voltage and current from the sense measuring unit to determine the leakage current of said DUT.

8. A method of testing integrated circuits with a discharge pulse, comprising the steps of:

closing a first switch S1 connected between a HV source and a transmission line to charge a transmission line from a HV source;

opening the first switch to isolate the charged transmission line from the HV source;

closing a second switch S2 connected between the transmission line and a DUT to connect the charged transmission line to the DUT to provide a pulse to the DUT from said transmission line; and

measuring a reflected voltage and a reflected current from said DUT in response to the pulse provided to the DUT from said transmission line.

9. The method of claim 8 including the steps of

measuring the reflected voltage as a function of time;

measuring the reflected current as a function of time.

10. The method of claim 8 including the step of dividing the reflected voltage as a function of time by the reflected current as a function of time to provide a dynamic display impedance for said DUT on an oscilloscope receiving signals indicative of the reflected voltage and reflected current.

11. The method of claim 8 further including the steps of:

isolating the transmission line from the DUT by opening the second switch;

connecting a sense measuring unit (SMU) to said DUT for providing a voltage and current to said DUT; and

determining the voltage and current from the sense measuring unit to determine the leakage current of said DUT to determine the effect of the pulse on said DUT.

12. A method of providing a discharge pulse for testing an integrated-circuit DUT, comprising the steps of:

connecting a wafer probe to a point on a DUT having integrated circuits formed thereon;

connecting a first switch S1, having a first open position and a second closed position, in series with a HV terminal having a HV source connected thereto;

connecting a second switch S2, having a first open position and a second closed position, in series with a transmission line having distributed capacitance and a DUT;

connecting a third switch S3, having a first open position and a second closed position, in series with a leakage testing circuit wherein the third switch S3 has a first terminal connected to the DUT and a second terminal connected to a sense measuring unit (SMU) for providing a voltage and current to said DUT from said sense measuring unit;

first, charging the transmission line having distributed capacitance by closing the first switch S1;

then, opening the first switch S1 after the transmission line is charged;

next, closing the second switch S2 to connect the charged transmission line to the DUT to provide a test pulse to the DUT;

measuring the reflected voltage from the DUT as a function of time;

measuring the reflected current as a function of time.

13. The method of claim 12 including the step of dividing the reflected voltage as a function of time by the reflected current as a function of time to provide a dynamic impedance for the DUT.

14. The method of claim 12 further including the step of first opening Switch S2 and then closing the third switch S3 to connect the SMU to the DUT, wherein the SMU includes a voltage source and a current measuring device, to determine the leakage current at said probe point subsequent to the test pulse being applied to the DUT to determine the effect of the test pulse on the DUT.