Voltage burn-in scheme for BICMOS circuits

Abstract

A switchable voltage generator is provided on-chip together with circuitry including transistors formed in accordance with several different technologies and optimized for operation at different voltages. Provision of a voltage generator on the chip avoids the need for dedicated connections for the lower voltage or voltages. To provide similar levels of burn-in voltage to the different transistor types, a bypass or shunt is provided across the regulator of the voltage generator. The on-chip voltage generator avoids the requirement for a large number of chip or module power connections for each supply voltage required in order to meet current requirements of different portions of chip circuitry. The use of a mode select receiver also avoids the requirement of additional connections to the chip. The combination of one or more switchable voltage generators with a mode select receiver allows economical and efficient electrically stressed testing of the chip at different levels of manufacture.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.