CMOS integrated circuit and timing signal generator using same
AssigneeAdvantest Corporation
InventorToshiyuki Okayasu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A CMOS integrated circuit to be used in a semiconductor test system for generating timing signals of high timing resolution and accuracy for testing semiconductor devices. The CMOS integrated circuit includes a heater circuit for generating heat based on electric current flowing therethrough, and a heater control circuit for detecting an amount of total electric current flowing through a timing generator block for generating timing signals, and a control circuit block for providing timing data to the timing generator block, and the heater circuit, and providing a control voltage to the heater circuit based on the amount of current detected to control the current flowing through the heater circuit through a negative feedback loop.
Claims12
An integrated circuit forming a timing signal generator, comprising:
- a heater circuit for generating heat by flowing electric current therethrough in response to a control voltage;
- and
- a heater control circuit for detecting a sum of electric current flowing through a timing generator block, a control logic block, and the heater circuit and providing said control voltage to the heater circuit based on the sum of electric current detected to control an amount of heat generated by the heater circuit through a negative feedback loop;
- wherein said heater circuit is formed of a plurality of series connected semiconductor components each having a current cut-off terminal to cut-off electric current therein when the integrated circuit is tested.
A timing signal generator for generating timing signals, comprising:
- a timing generator block for producing a timing signal of a specified delay timing by adding the specified delay timing to an input clock signal;
- a control logic block for providing timing data specifying said delay timing to the timing generator block for controlling the delay timing of the timing signal:
- a heater circuit for generating heat based on heater current flowing therethrough to raise temperature of said timing generator block;
- a heater control circuit for detecting an amount of total electric current flowing through the timing generator block, the control logic block, and the heater circuit and providing a control voltage to the heater circuit based on the amount of electric current detected to control the heater current flowing through the heater circuit through a negative feedback loop;
- wherein the heater circuit, the timing generator block and the control logic block are provided within a common CMOS integrated circuit, thereby maintaining constant total electric current in the CMOS integrated circuit;
- and wherein the heater circuit is formed of a plurality of series connected CMOS components each having a current cut-off terminal to cut off electric current therein when the CMOS integrated circuit is tested.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.