# US 2013/0278305 A1 · Semiconductor wafer and method for auto-calibrating integrated circuit chips at wafer level

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- Number: US 2013/0278305 A1
- Document ID: US20130278305A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/605,608
- Filed: 2012-09-06
- Published: 2013-10-24
- Earliest claimed: 2012-04-23
- Assignees: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
- Inventors: Hyunseok KIM; Su Na Choi; Heyung Sub Lee; Cheol Sig Pyo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130278305A1

## CPC

- G01R 31/2822: {of microwave or radiofrequency circuits (of attenuation, gain, e.g. using network analyzers G01R27/28)}
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)

## Abstract

In integrated circuit chips that are used for RFID, a method of calibrating an operation frequency that is generated in an operation frequency generator and a semiconductor wafer including a calibration circuit are provided. The method of calibrating an operation frequency of integrated circuit chips includes: supplying DC power to the integrated circuit chips; selecting an integrated circuit chip to perform calibration of an operation frequency; receiving an operation frequency that is generated in the selected integrated circuit chip; generating a frequency calibration value by comparing the operation frequency with a calibration target frequency; transmitting a control signal including the frequency calibration value to the integrated circuit chip; and releasing a selection of the integrated circuit chip in which calibration of the operation frequency is complete.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of auto-calibrating integrated circuit chips at a wafer level by calibrating an operation frequency of the integrated circuit chips, the method comprising:
supplying DC power to the integrated circuit chips;
selecting an integrated circuit chip to perform calibration of an operation frequency;
receiving an operation frequency that is generated in the selected to integrated circuit chip;
generating a frequency calibration value by comparing the operation frequency with a calibration target frequency;
transmitting a control signal comprising the frequency calibration value to the integrated circuit chip; and
releasing selection of the integrated circuit chip in which calibration of the operation frequency is complete.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of a frequency calibration value comprises:
setting a reference interval by a data transmission frequency of an RFID interrogator that communicates with the integrated circuit chip;
calculating a difference between the waveform number of the calibration target frequency that is included within the reference interval and the waveform number of the operation frequency; and
generating the frequency calibration value using the difference between the waveform numbers.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
after the transmitting of a control signal,
calibrating the operation frequency according to the frequency calibration value that is included in the control signal; and
storing the frequency calibration value at the integrated circuit chip to according to the control signal.

### Claim 4

A semiconductor wafer for auto-calibrating an operation frequency of integrated circuit chips, the semiconductor wafer comprising:
an integrated circuit chip area;
a probe area in which a calibration controller of an operation frequency is connected to the outside of the semiconductor wafer;
a signal transmitting area that is connected to the probe area to transmit a signal of the integrated circuit chips to the calibration controller; and
a buffer that relays a signal that is exchanged between the integrated circuit chips and the signal transmitting area.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The semiconductor wafer of claim 4, wherein the signal transmitting area comprises:
a chip selection bus that transmits a selection signal of the calibration controller for an integrated circuit chip to perform calibration of the operation frequency and a selection release signal for the integrated circuit chip in which calibration of the operation frequency is complete;
an external power line that transmits DC power that is supplied to the integrated circuit chip;
a frequency measurement line that transmits an operation frequency that is generated in the integrated circuit chip; and
a calibration bus that transmits a control signal for calibrating the operation frequency,
wherein the chip selection bus, the external power line, the frequency measurement line, and the calibration bus are connected to the probe area.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The semiconductor wafer of claim 5, wherein the buffer is positioned at an end portion of the chip selection bus and operates according to a selection signal and a selection release signal of the calibration controller, and
when the buffer operates, a connection between the integrated circuit chip, the external power line, the frequency measurement line, and the calibration bus is activated.

### Claim 7

A calibration controller for auto-calibrating an operation frequency of integrated circuit chips,
wherein the calibration controller sets a reference interval by a data transmission frequency of an RFID interrogator that communicates with the integrated circuit chips, calculates a difference between the waveform number of a calibration target frequency that is included within the reference interval and the waveform number of the operation frequency, and generates an operation frequency calibration value using the difference between the waveform numbers.