Apparatus and method for dynamic diagnostic testing of integrated circuits
First Claim
1. An apparatus for measuring electrical characteristics of an integrated circuit, said integrated circuit comprising predetermined patterns of active electronic elements disposed on a surface of a semiconductor wafer, said apparatus comprising:
- a stimulating energy source for injecting a test signal into said integrated circuit by stimulating predetermined areas of said integrated circuit;
power source for supplying power to at least one of said active electronic elements of said integrated circuit; and
a detector for detecting an electrical activity within sad integrated circuit in response to said injected test signal, wherein said responsive electrical activity comprises switching of at least one of said active electronic elements of said integrated circuit and wherein said characteristics on said integrated circuit are determined based on said detected electrical activity.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods consistent with principles of the present invention allow contactless measuring of various kinds of electrical activity within an integrated circuit. The invention can be used for high-bandwidth, at speed testing of various devices on a wafer during the various stages of device processing, or on packaged parts at the end of the manufacturing cycle. Power is applied to the test circuit using conventional mechanical probes or other means, such as CW laser light applied to a photoreceiver provided on the test circuit. The electrical test signal is introduced into the test circuit by stimulating the circuit using a contactless method, such as by directing the output of one or more modelocked lasers onto high-speed receivers on the circuit, or by using a high-speed pulsed diode laser. The electrical activity within the circuit in response to the test signal is sensed by a receiver element, such as a time-resolved photon counting detector, a static emission camera system, or by an active laser probing system. The collected information is used for a variety of purposes, including manufacturing process monitoring, new process qualification, and model verification.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An apparatus for measuring electrical characteristics of an integrated circuit, said integrated circuit comprising predetermined patterns of active electronic elements disposed on a surface of a semiconductor wafer, said apparatus comprising:
- a stimulating energy source for injecting a test signal into said integrated circuit by stimulating predetermined areas of said integrated circuit;
power source for supplying power to at least one of said active electronic elements of said integrated circuit; and
a detector for detecting an electrical activity within sad integrated circuit in response to said injected test signal, wherein said responsive electrical activity comprises switching of at least one of said active electronic elements of said integrated circuit and wherein said characteristics on said integrated circuit are determined based on said detected electrical activity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
- a stimulating energy source for injecting a test signal into said integrated circuit by stimulating predetermined areas of said integrated circuit;
Specification