Method for the characterization and monitoring of integrated circuits
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsRaphael P. Robertazzi, Peilin Song, Franco Stellari
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for characterizing an integrated circuit that includes ramping the supply voltage to an integrated circuit as a function of time for each of the transistors in the integrated circuit, and measuring a power supply current for the integrated circuit during the ramping of the power supply voltage. The measured peaks in the power supply current are a current pulse that identifies an operation state in which each of the transistors are in an on state. The peaks in the power supply current are compared to the reference peaks for the power supply current for a reference circuit having a same functionality as the integrated circuit to determine the integrated circuit's fitness.
Claims12
A system for characterizing an integrated circuit comprising:
- a device power supply in electrical communication to at least one pin of the integrated circuit for providing a power supply voltage to the integrated circuit;
- a waveform generator configured to control a ramp rate of the power supply voltage from the device power supply to the integrated circuit;
- and
- a signal recorder configured to measure current through the integrated circuit simultaneously with the power supply voltage being ramped through the integrated circuit as the integrated circuit is brought to an operating bias condition, the operating bias condition being the point of a design of the integrated circuit when all n-type and p-type field effect transistors of the integrated circuit have achieved their nominal operating bias points, in which gates for all of the n-type and p-type field effect transistors of the integrated circuit move from zero bias, through the metastable state which draws supply current, and then achieves the design point bias specification at which the supply current drops.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.