Photosensors for testing an integrated circuit
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorErnie R. Hirt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method of testing an integrated circuit includes providing a first spectral input to the integrated circuit. A photosensor converts the first spectral input to a gating signal input that is used to gate a result output. The result output is checked to determine whether the integrated circuit is functioning properly. For one embodiment, the result output is used to provide a visual indication whether the integrated circuit is functioning properly. This allows for contactless testing of the integrated circuit, whether the circuit is in die form, wafer form, or packaged form.
Claims46
An integrated circuit comprising:
- a photosensor;
- circuitry coupled with the photosensor to receive a diagnostic input from the photosensor, the diagnostic input indicating a bit pattern to test the circuitry;
- and
- a buffer to store a result output from the circuitry indicating whether the circuitry passed or failed a diagnostic test.
An integrated circuit comprising:
- a first photosensor sensitive to a first wavelength of light provided to the integrated circuit by a first spectral input;
- a first circuit coupled with said first photosensor to convert the first spectral input to a first data input to the integrated circuit;
- a second photosensor sensitive to a second wavelength of light provided to the integrated circuit by a second spectral input;
- a second circuit coupled with said second photosensor to convert the second spectral input to a second data input to the integrated circuit;
- test circuitry coupled with the first and second circuits to receive the first and second data inputs, the data inputs indicating a bit pattern to test the integrated circuit;
- and
- a buffer to store a result output from the test circuitry indicating whether the integrated circuit passed or failed a diagnostic test.
An apparatus comprising:
- means for providing a first spectral input to an integrated circuit, the first spectral input being converted by a photosensor on the integrated circuit to generate a data signal input used by the test circuitry to generate a result output;
- means for checking the result output to determine whether the test circuitry is functioning properly;
- means for providing a second spectral input to the integrated circuit, the second spectral input used to generate a gating signal input to the test circuitry, the result output being based on the data signal input gated by the gating signal input;
- and
- means for shifting one or more bits responsive to the gating signal input wherein the shifting of the one or more bits corresponds to boundary scan testing.
An apparatus comprising:
- means for supplying power to a first integrated circuit die and a second integrated circuit die;
- and
- means for supplying a first spectral input to a first photosensor on the first integrated circuit die and, concurrently with the first spectral input, supplying a second, spectrally independent input to a second photosensor on a second integrated circuit die, the first photosensor responding by providing a first diagnostic signal used to test circuitry on the first integrated circuit die, the second photosensor responding by providing a second diagnostic signal used to test circuitry on the second integrated circuit die.
An apparatus comprising:
- means for supplying a first spectral input to a first photosensor on an integrated circuit, the first photosensor responding by providing a first diagnostic signal to test circuitry on the integrated circuit;
- and
- means for supplying a second spectral input to a second photosensor on the integrated circuit wherein the first spectral input and the second spectral input are at different wavelengths, the second photosensor responding by providing a second diagnostic signal to the test circuitry on the integrated circuit.
A machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions to test test circuitry on an integrated circuit, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
- provide a first spectral input to the integrated circuit, the first spectral input being converted by a photosensor on the integrated circuit to generate a data signal input used by the test circuitry to generate a result output;
- check the result output to determine whether the test circuitry is functioning properly;
- provide a second spectral input to the integrated circuit, the second spectral input used to generate a gating signal input to the test circuitry, the result output being based on the data signal input gated by the gating signal input;
- and
- shift one or more bits responsive to the gating signal input wherein the shifting of the one or more bits corresponds to boundary scan testing.
A machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions to test test circuitry on an integrated circuit, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
- supply power to the first integrated circuit die and the second integrated circuit die;
- and
- supply a first spectral input to a first photosensor on the first integrated circuit die and, concurrently with the first spectral input, supplying a second, spectrally independent input to a second photosensor on a second integrated circuit die, the first photosensor responding by providing a first diagnostic signal used to test circuitry on the first integrated circuit die, the second photosensor responding by providing a second diagnostic signal used to test circuitry on the second integrated circuit die.
A machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions to test test circuitry on an integrated circuit, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
- supply a first spectral input to a first photosensor on the integrated circuit, the first photosensor responding by providing a first diagnostic signal to the test circuitry on the integrated circuit;
- and
- supply a second spectral input to a second photosensor on the integrated circuit wherein the first spectral input and the second spectral input are at different wavelengths, the second photosensor responding by providing a second diagnostic signal to the test circuitry on the integrated circuit.
A method of accessing a device comprising:
- providing a spectral input to a photodetector on a device;
- converting the spectral input to an access request signal;
- comparing the access request signal to a predefined key;
- and
- enabling access to the device if the access request signal matched the predefined key.
An apparatus comprising:
- means for providing a spectral input to a photodetector on a device;
- means for converting the spectral input to an access request signal;
- means for comparing the access request signal to a predefined key;
- and
- means for enabling access to the device if the access request signal matched the predefined key.
An integrated circuit comprising:
- a photosensor;
- and
- circuitry coupled with the photosensor to receive an access request signal from the photosensor, the access request signal, when matching a predefined key, enabling access to the integrated circuit.
A machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions to access a device, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
- convert a spectral input to an access request signal;
- compare the access request signal to a predefined key;
- and
- enable access to the device if the access request signal matched the predefined key.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.