Integrated circuit device characterization

• US 6,458,611 B1
• Filed: 03/07/2001
• Issued: 10/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Gardner, Donald S.
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMPSON, CRAIG
• Application Number:
  US09/800,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20020127748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 438/17, 438/18, 438/5-15, 438/880, 716/4, 716/5-7
• US Class Current: 438/17
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/26 Measuring inductance or capacitance; Measuring quality factor, e.g. by using the resonance method; Measuring loss factor; Measuring dielectric constants ; Measuring impedance or related variables
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/28 Measuring attenuation, gain, phase shift or derived characteristics of electric four pole networks, i.e. two-port networks; Measuring transient response in line transmission systems H04B3/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2822 of microwave or radiofrequency circuits of attenuation, gain, e.g. using network analyzers G01R27/28
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2837 Characterising or performance testing, e.g. of frequency response transient response G01R27/28
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2851 Testing of integrated circuits [IC] G01R31/317 takes precedence; testing individual devices G01R31/26; testing printed circuits G01R31/2801
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/316 Testing of analog circuits G01R31/2851 takes precedence

Abstract

One or more electrical characteristics of an integrated circuit device are measured at one or more relatively lower frequencies. One or more parameters of the integrated circuit device are measured at one or more frequencies higher than the one or more relatively lower frequencies. One or more parameters of the integrated circuit device are calculated based on the measured one or more electrical characteristics. The integrated circuit device is characterized based on the calculated one or more parameters and the measured one or more parameters.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) measuring one or more electrical characteristics of an integrated circuit device at one or more relatively lower frequencies;

(b) measuring one or more parameters of the integrated circuit device at one or more frequencies higher than the one or more relatively lower frequencies;

(c) calculating one or more parameters of the integrated circuit device based on the measured one or more electrical characteristics; and

(d) characterizing the integrated circuit device based on the calculated one or more parameters and the measured one or more parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the measuring (a) comprises measuring one or more electrical characteristics using an impedance analyzer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the measuring (a) comprises driving a shield of each of a plurality of probe lines to compensate for impedance of the probe lines.

4. The method of claim 3, comprising electrically isolating each shield.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the measuring (a) comprises conductively coupling each shield to one another at or near the integrated circuit device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the conductively coupling comprises coupling each shield to one another at or near an end of each shield with a foil jumper.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the measuring (a) comprises measuring a value for one or more circuit elements of an electrical model of the integrated circuit device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the measuring (b) comprises measuring one or more parameters using a network analyzer.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the calculating (c) comprises calculating one or more parameters based on the measured value for one or more circuit elements of the electrical model.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the measuring (b) comprises measuring scattering parameters of the integrated circuit device;

and

wherein the calculating (c) comprises calculating scattering parameters of the integrated circuit device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the characterizing (d) comprises comparing the calculated one or more parameters to the measured one or more parameters and updating one or more values for an electrical model of the integrated circuit device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the characterizing (d) comprises iteratively comparing the calculated one or more parameters to the measured one or more parameters, updating one or more values for an electrical model of the integrated circuit device, and recalculating one or more parameters of the integrated circuit device based on the updated one or more values for the electrical model until the recalculated one or more parameters and the measured one or more parameters satisfy a predetermined condition.

13. A method comprising:

(a) measuring a value for one or more circuit elements of an electrical model of an integrated circuit device at one or more relatively lower frequencies;

(b) measuring one or more parameters of the integrated circuit device at one or more frequencies higher than the one or more relatively lower frequencies;

(c) calculating one or more parameters of the integrated circuit device based on the measured value for one or more circuit elements of the electrical model;

(d) comparing the calculated one or more parameters to the measured one or more parameters; and

(e) updating one or more values for the electrical model of the integrated circuit device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the measuring (a) comprises measuring one or more values using an impedance analyzer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the measuring (a) comprises driving a shield of each of a plurality of probe lines to compensate for impedance of the probe lines.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising electrically isolating each shield.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the measuring (a) comprises conductively coupling each shield to one another at or near the integrated circuit device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the conductively coupling comprises coupling each shield to one another at or near an end of each shield with a foil jumper.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the measuring (b) comprises measuring one or more parameters using a network analyzer.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the measuring (b) comprises measuring scattering parameters of the integrated circuit device;

and

wherein the calculating (c) comprises calculating scattering parameters of the integrated circuit device.

21. The method of claim 13, comprising iteratively comparing the calculated one or more parameters to the measured one or more parameters, updating one or more values for the electrical model of the integrated circuit device, and recalculating one or more parameters of the integrated circuit device based on the updated one or more values for the electrical model until the recalculated one or more parameters and the measured one or more parameters satisfy a predetermined condition.