US 12,669,459 B2 · Electronic device including a sensor and a method of using the same

Abstract

In an aspect, an electronic device can include a first sensor adjacent to a first portion of a peripheral edge of a die, a first access transistor electrically coupled to the first sensor, a second sensor adjacent to a second portion of the peripheral edge, and a second access transistor electrically coupled to the second sensor. In another aspect, an electronic device can include an edge guard ring and a sensor electrically insulated from the edge guard ring. The edge guard ring can include a interconnect. At least a portion of the first sensor overlaps or underlaps a portion of the first interconnect. Testing can be performed by comparing the electrical parameters of two or more sensors or by comparing the electrical parameters of one sensor versus a reference value. Testing can be performed at nearly any time, including after the electronic device is installed in a system.

Claims21

Dependent claims

An electronic device, comprising:

a first sensor adjacent to a first portion of a peripheral edge of a die;
a first sensor access transistor electrically coupled to the first sensor;
a second sensor adjacent to a second portion of the peripheral edge of the die;
and
a second sensor access transistor electrically coupled to the second sensor,
wherein:
the first sensor and the second sensor are different sensors, and the first portion and the second portion are different portions of the peripheral edge of the die, and
the electronic device is adapted such that:
when the first sensor access transistor is on and all other sensor access transistors not coupled to the first sensor are off, current can flow through the first sensor and no current flows through any other sensor in the die, and
when the second sensor access transistor is on and all other sensor access transistors not coupled to the second sensor are off, current can flow through the second sensor and no current flows through any other sensor in the die.

7 more elements

A method, comprising:

obtaining a first electrical parameter associated with a first sensor, wherein:
a die includes the first sensor, a second sensor, and sensor access transistors, including a first pair of sensor access transistors, and a second pair of sensor access transistors,
the first sensor is adjacent to a first portion of a peripheral edge of the die,
the first pair of sensor access transistors is electrically coupled to opposite ends of the first sensor,
the second sensor is adjacent to a second portion of the peripheral edge of the die,
the second pair of sensor access transistors is electrically coupled to opposite ends of the second sensor, and
obtaining the first electrical parameter is performed while the first pair of sensor access transistors is on and all other sensor access transistors are off;
obtaining a second electrical parameter associated with the second sensor while the second pair of sensor access transistor is on and all other sensor access transistors are off;
and
determining whether or not a first crack in the die is adjacent to or extends through the first sensor or whether or not a second crack in the die is adjacent to or extends though the second sensor.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Electronic device including a sensor and a method of using the same

Life of this patent

Electronic device including a sensor and a method of using the same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21