Determining and analyzing integrated circuit yield and quality
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for analyzing integrated circuit yield, comprising:
- receiving information from processing test responses of integrated circuits designed for functional use in electronic devices, the information being indicative of integrated circuit failures observed during testing of the integrated circuits;
determining a list of suspect yield limiting factors for each failing integrated circuit from the received information, the list of suspect yield limiting factors for a respective failing integrated circuit comprising yield limiting factors that potentially caused the respective failing integrated circuit to fail;
determining probabilities that one or more of the suspect yield limiting factors in the integrated circuits actually caused the integrated circuit failures, the act of determining the probabilities comprising statistically analyzing the lists of suspect yield limiting factors determined for each failing integrated circuit; and
reporting the probabilities that one or more suspect yield limiting factors actually caused the integrated circuit failures.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, apparatus, and systems for computing and analyzing integrated circuit yield and quality are disclosed herein. For example, in one exemplary method disclosed herein information is received from processing test responses of integrated circuits designed for functional use in electronic devices. In this embodiment, the information is indicative of integrated circuit failures observed during testing of the integrated circuits and of possible yield limiting factors causing the integrated circuit failures. Probabilities that one or more of the possible yield limiting factors in the integrated circuits actually caused the integrated circuit failures are determined by statistically analyzing the received information. The probabilities that one or more possible yield limiting factors actually caused the integrated circuit failures are reported. Tangible computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform any of the described methods are also disclosed.
79 Citations
57 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for analyzing integrated circuit yield, comprising:
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receiving information from processing test responses of integrated circuits designed for functional use in electronic devices, the information being indicative of integrated circuit failures observed during testing of the integrated circuits; determining a list of suspect yield limiting factors for each failing integrated circuit from the received information, the list of suspect yield limiting factors for a respective failing integrated circuit comprising yield limiting factors that potentially caused the respective failing integrated circuit to fail; determining probabilities that one or more of the suspect yield limiting factors in the integrated circuits actually caused the integrated circuit failures, the act of determining the probabilities comprising statistically analyzing the lists of suspect yield limiting factors determined for each failing integrated circuit; and reporting the probabilities that one or more suspect yield limiting factors actually caused the integrated circuit failures. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A computer-implemented method for analyzing integrated circuit yield, comprising:
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receiving information from processing test responses of integrated circuits designed for functional use in electronic devices, the information being indicative of integrated circuit failures observed during testing of the integrated circuits and of possible yield limiting factors causing the integrated circuit failures; determining probabilities that one or more of the possible yield limiting factors in the integrated circuits actually caused the integrated circuit failures, the act of determining the probabilities comprising statistically analyzing the received information; and reporting the probabilities that one or more possible yield limiting factors actually caused the integrated circuit failures, wherein the integrated circuits are designed in accordance with one or more design manufacturing rules, the method further comprising estimating a yield sensitivity curve based at least in part on the determined probabilities for at least one of the design manufacturing rules. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A computer-implemented method for analyzing integrated circuit yield, comprising:
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receiving information from processing test responses of integrated circuits designed for functional use in electronic devices, the information being indicative of integrated circuit failures observed during testing of the integrated circuits and of possible yield limiting factors causing the integrated circuit failures; determining probabilities that one or more of the possible yield limiting factors in the integrated circuits actually caused the integrated circuit failures, the act of determining the probabilities comprising statistically analyzing the received information; and reporting the probabilities that one or more possible yield limiting factors actually caused the integrated circuit failures, wherein the integrated circuits tested have a common design, and wherein the act of determining probabilities comprises partitioning the design of the integrated circuits into multiple design blocks, each design block comprising a subset of the possible yield limiting factors. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A computer-implemented method for analyzing integrated circuit yield, comprising:
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receiving information from processing test responses of integrated circuits designed for functional use in electronic devices, the information being indicative of integrated circuit failures observed during testing of the integrated circuits and of possible yield limiting factors causing the integrated circuit failures; determining probabilities that one or more of the possible yield limiting factors in the integrated circuits actually caused the integrated circuit failures, the act of determining the probabilities comprising statistically analyzing the received information; and reporting the probabilities that one or more possible yield limiting factors actually caused the integrated circuit failures, wherein the act of determining the probabilities further comprises identifying nets that fail at a substantially higher rate than other nets and determining whether the nets that fail at a substantially higher rate than other nets occur repetitively at or near a same die location of multiple wafers containing multiples instances of dies that each contain an instance of the tested integrated circuit. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. One or more tangible computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
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receiving information from processing test responses of integrated circuits designed for functional use in electronic devices, the information being indicative of integrated circuit failures observed during testing of the integrated circuits; determining a list of suspect yield limiting factors for each failing integrated circuit from the received information, the list of suspect yield limiting factors for a respective failing integrated circuit comprising yield limiting factors that potentially caused the respective failing integrated circuit to fail; determining probabilities that one or more of the suspect yield limiting factors in the integrated circuits actually caused the integrated circuit failures, the act of determining the probabilities comprising statistically analyzing the lists of suspect yield limiting factors determined for each failing integrated circuit; and reporting the probabilities that one or more suspect yield limiting factors actually caused the integrated circuit failures.
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53. A computer comprising a computer-readable memory, the computer-readable memory storing instructions for causing the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
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receiving information from processing test responses of integrated circuits designed for functional use in electronic devices, the information being indicative of integrated circuit failures observed during testing of the integrated circuits; determining a list of suspect yield limiting factors for each failing integrated circuit from the received information, the list of suspect yield limiting factors for a respective failing integrated circuit comprising yield limiting factors that potentially caused the respective failing integrated circuit to fail; determining probabilities that one or more of the suspect yield limiting factors in the integrated circuits actually caused the integrated circuit failures, the act of determining the probabilities comprising statistically analyzing the lists of suspect yield limiting factors determined for each failing integrated circuit; and reporting the probabilities that one or more suspect yield limiting factors actually caused the integrated circuit failures.
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54. One or more tangible computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
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receiving information from processing test responses of integrated circuits designed for functional use in electronic devices, the information being indicative of integrated circuit failures observed during testing of the integrated circuits and of possible yield limiting factors causing the integrated circuit failures; determining probabilities that one or more of the possible yield limiting factors in the integrated circuits actually caused the integrated circuit failures, the act of determining the probabilities comprising statistically analyzing the received information; and reporting the probabilities that one or more possible yield limiting factors actually caused the integrated circuit failures, wherein the integrated circuits tested have a common design, and wherein the act of determining probabilities comprises partitioning the design of the integrated circuits into multiple design blocks, each design block comprising a subset of the possible yield limiting factors.
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55. A computer comprising a computer-readable memory, the computer-readable memory storing instructions for causing the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
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receiving information from processing test responses of integrated circuits designed for functional use in electronic devices, the information being indicative of integrated circuit failures observed during testing of the integrated circuits and of possible yield limiting factors causing the integrated circuit failures; determining probabilities that one or more of the possible yield limiting factors in the integrated circuits actually caused the integrated circuit failures, the act of determining the probabilities comprising statistically analyzing the received information; and reporting the probabilities that one or more possible yield limiting factors actually caused the integrated circuit failures, wherein the integrated circuits tested have a common design, and wherein the act of determining probabilities comprises partitioning the design of the integrated circuits into multiple design blocks, each design block comprising a subset of the possible yield limiting factors.
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56. One or more tangible computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
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receiving information from processing test responses of integrated circuits designed for functional use in electronic devices, the information being indicative of integrated circuit failures observed during testing of the integrated circuits and of possible yield limiting factors causing the integrated circuit failures; determining probabilities that one or more of the possible yield limiting factors in the integrated circuits actually caused the integrated circuit failures, the act of determining the probabilities comprising statistically analyzing the received information; and reporting the probabilities that one or more possible yield limiting factors actually caused the integrated circuit failures, wherein the act of determining the probabilities further comprises identifying nets that fail at a substantially higher rate than other nets and determining whether the nets that fail at a substantially higher rate than other nets occur repetitively at or near a same die location of multiple wafers containing multiples instances of dies that each contain an instance of the tested integrated circuit.
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57. A computer comprising a computer-readable memory, the computer-readable memory storing instructions for causing the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
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receiving information from processing test responses of integrated circuits designed for functional use in electronic devices, the information being indicative of integrated circuit failures observed during testing of the integrated circuits and of possible yield limiting factors causing the integrated circuit failures; determining probabilities that one or more of the possible yield limiting factors in the integrated circuits actually caused the integrated circuit failures, the act of determining the probabilities comprising statistically analyzing the received information; and reporting the probabilities that one or more possible yield limiting factors actually caused the integrated circuit failures, wherein the act of determining the probabilities further comprises identifying nets that fail at a substantially higher rate than other nets and determining whether the nets that fail at a substantially higher rate than other nets occur repetitively at or near a same die location of multiple wafers containing multiples instances of dies that each contain an instance of the tested integrated circuit.
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Specification