# US 11,443,990 B2 · Prognostic health management for power devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,443,990 B2 - Document ID: US11443990B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/915,794 - Filed: 2020-06-29 - Published: 2021-12-30 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-06-29 - Assignees: Infineon Technologies AG - Applicants: Infineon Technologies AG - Inventors: Sergio De Gasperi; Michael Nelhiebel; Alexander Mayer; Dieter Haerle; Andrea Baschirotto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11443990B2 ## CPC - H10D 89/60: Integrated devices comprising arrangements for electrical or thermal protection, e.g. protection circuits against electrostatic discharge [ESD] - H10P 74/273: {Interconnections for measuring or testing, e.g. probe pads} - G01R 31/2607: {Circuits therefor (G01R31/2642 takes precedence)} - G01R 31/2837: {Characterising or performance testing, e.g. of frequency response (transient response G01R27/28)} - G01R 31/2884: {using dedicated test connectors, test elements or test circuits on the IC under test (G01R31/2855 takes precedence)} - H10D 89/911: {using passive elements as protective elements} - H10D 89/921: {characterised by the configuration of the interconnections connecting the protective arrangements, e.g. ESD buses} - G01R 31/2844: {using test interfaces, e.g. adapters, test boxes, switches, PIN drivers (G01R31/2889 takes precedence)} - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) ## Abstract In some examples, a device includes a power structure and a sensing structure that is electrically isolated from the power structure. The device also includes processing circuitry configured to determine whether the sensing structure includes a prognostic health indicator, wherein the prognostic health indicator is indicative of a health of the power structure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device comprising: a power structure, wherein the power structure defines a first aging mechanism that comprises thermo-mechanical degradation; a sensing structure electrically isolated from the power structure, wherein the sensing structure defines a second aging mechanism that is different than the first aging mechanism, wherein the second aging mechanism comprises breakdown of an oxide in the sensing structure; and processing circuitry configured to determine whether the sensing structure includes a prognostic health indicator by measuring the second aging mechanism, wherein the prognostic health indicator is indicative of a health of the power structure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the power structure and the sensing structure are formed on a single semiconductor substrate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the sensing structure and the power structure experience correlated thermo-mechanical stress over a period of time, and wherein the prognostic health indicator becomes evident before the thermo-mechanical degradation of the power structure becomes evident. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the power structure is supplied by a first power source, and wherein the sensing structure is supplied by a second power source electrically isolated from the first power source. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the sensing structure further comprises: an anti-fuse that includes the oxide; and a current sensor configured to sense a current flowing through the anti-fuse, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine that the sensing structure includes the prognostic health indicator by determining that the current flowing through the anti-fuse is greater than a threshold level. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The device of claim 5, wherein the anti-fuse comprises an initial resistance of more than one hundred megaohms at a time of manufacture, and wherein the threshold level corresponds to a resistance of less than one megaohm. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The device of claim 5, further comprising: programmable memory configured to store the threshold level; and a diagnostic interface configured to be communicatively coupled to an external device, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to store a new value for the threshold level in the programmable memory based on communication received via the diagnostic interface from the external device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The device of claim 5, wherein the anti-fuse is a first anti-fuse, wherein the sensing structure further comprises a second anti-fuse connected in series with the first anti-fuse, and wherein the current sensor is configured to sense the current through the first anti-fuse and through the second anti-fuse. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the sensing structure further comprises: an anti-fuse that includes the oxide; a current source configured to drive current through the anti-fuse; and a voltage comparator configured to compare a voltage across the anti-fuse to a voltage threshold level while the current source is driving the current through the anti-fuse, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine that the sensing structure includes the prognostic health indicator by determining that the voltage across the anti-fuse is less than the voltage threshold level. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The device of claim 9, wherein the anti-fuse is a first anti-fuse, wherein the sensing structure further comprises a second anti-fuse connected in parallel with the first anti-fuse, wherein the current source is configured to drive current through the first anti-fuse and through the second anti-fuse, and wherein the voltage comparator is configured to compare a voltage across the first anti-fuse and across the second anti-fuse to a voltage threshold level while the current source is driving the current through the first anti-fuse and through the second anti-fuse. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein a size of the power structure is at least one hundred times greater than a size of the sensing structure. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein a distance from the sensing structure to the power structure is less than ten times a pitch of a power cell in the power structure. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the power structure comprises: a power switch; and a first conductor electrically connected to a load path of the power switch, wherein the sensing structure comprises: an anti-fuse that includes the oxide; and a second conductor electrically connected to the anti-fuse, and wherein a cross-sectional area of the first conductor is at least ten times larger than a cross-sectional area of the second conductor. ### Claim 14 A method comprising: measuring a current in a sensing structure that is electrically isolated from a power structure wherein the sensing structure includes an oxide; determining whether the sensing structure includes a prognostic health indicator by measuring a breakdown of the oxide, wherein the determining includes determining that the current in the sensing structure is greater than a threshold level; and setting a bit indicating a prognostic health issue in response to determining that the current in the sensing structure is greater than the threshold level, wherein the sensing structure and the power structure experience correlated thermo-mechanical stress over a period of time, and wherein the breakdown of the oxide becomes evident before a thermo-mechanical degradation of the power structure becomes evident. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the sensing structure comprises an anti-fuse that includes the oxide, wherein measuring the current in the sensing structure comprises measuring a leakage current through the anti-fuse, and wherein determining whether the current is greater than the threshold level comprises determining whether the leakage current is greater than the threshold level. ### Claim 16 A system comprising: a power substrate comprising a power structure and a sensing structure, wherein the sensing structure is electrically isolated from the power structure; processing circuitry configured to: control a driver to generate driver signals to control the power structure; measure a current in a sensing structure that is electrically isolated from a power structure; determine whether the current in the sensing structure is greater than a threshold level; and set a bit indicating a prognostic health issue in response to determining that the current in the sensing structure is greater than the threshold level, wherein the sensing structure includes an oxide, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine whether the sensing structure includes the prognostic health indicator by measuring a breakdown of the oxide, wherein the sensing structure and the power structure experience correlated thermo-mechanical stress over a period of time, and wherein the breakdown of the oxide becomes evident before a thermo-mechanical degradation of the power structure becomes evident. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the sensing structure comprises an anti-fuse that includes the oxide, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to: measure the current in the sensing structure by measuring a leakage current through the anti-fuse; and determine whether the current is greater than the threshold level by determining whether the leakage current is greater than the threshold level.