Testing arrangement to distribute integrated circuits
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- testing an integrated circuit (IC) at a first voltage level step;
in response to a positive test result associating the IC with the first voltage level step; and
in response to a negative test result, resting the IC at a second voltage level step, the negative test result indicating the IC failed to operate within a power specification associated wit the first voltage level step at each of a plurality of predetermined frequencies.
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Abstract
Arrangements having integrated circuit (IC) voltage and thermal resistance designated on a per IC basis.
27 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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testing an integrated circuit (IC) at a first voltage level step; in response to a positive test result associating the IC with the first voltage level step; and in response to a negative test result, resting the IC at a second voltage level step, the negative test result indicating the IC failed to operate within a power specification associated wit the first voltage level step at each of a plurality of predetermined frequencies. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions that, when executed, causes a machine to perform a method comprising:
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testing an integrated circuit (IC) at a first voltage level step; in response to a positive test result, associating the IC with the first voltage level step; and in response to a negative test result, testing the IC at a second voltage level step, the negative test result indicating the IC failed to operate within a power specification associated with the first voltage level step at each of a plurality of predetermined frequencies. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method comprising:
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testing sequentially integrated circuits (ICs) of a manufacturing batch of ICs having a mutually-common design for a plurality of predetermined voltage level steps determined for the batch, wherein each tested IC is tested at at least two voltage level steps, retesting an IC at a higher voltage level step in response to failure of the IC to operate within a power specification associated with a lower voltage level step at each of a plurality of predetermined frequencies; passing the IC if predetermined operational parameters are met for at least one voltage level step; and designating an IC having a plurality of passing voltage level steps to be operated at one of the plurality of passing voltage level steps based on a predetermined optimization. wherein the predetermined optimization is at least one of a minimum passing voltage level;
a maximum passing voltage level;
a passing voltage level expected to provide a greatest reliability of the IC;
a passing voltage level expected to provide a longest operational life for the IC;
a passing voltage level providing a maximized reliable operational frequency of the IC;
a passing voltage level providing minimized power consumption by the IC;
a passing voltage level providing minimized heat generation byte IC;
or a passing voltage level providing minimized noise levels in the IC.
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14. A machine-readable medium embodying at least one sequence of instructions that, when executed, causes a machine to:
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test integrated circuits (ICs) of a manufacturing batch of ICs having a mutually-common design for predetermined voltage level steps determined for the batch, wherein each test IC is tested at at least two voltage level steps; retesting an IC at a higher voltage level step in response to failure of the IC to operate within a power specification associated with a lower voltage level step at each of a plurality of predetermined frequencies; pass the IC if predetermined operational parameters are met for at least one voltage level step; and
designate an IC having a plurality of passing voltage level steps to be operated at one of the plurality of passing voltage level steps based on a predetermined optimization,wherein the predetermined optimization is at least one of;
a minimum passing voltage level;
a maximum passing voltage level;
a passing voltage level expected to provide a greatest reliability of the IC;
a passing voltage expected to provide a longest operational life for the IC;
a passing voltage level providing a maximized reliable operational frequency of the IC;
a passing voltage level providing minimized power consumption by the IC;
a passing voltage level providing minimized heat generation by the IC;
or a passing voltage level providing minimized noise levels in the IC.
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Specification