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US 6,441,675 B1Granted
Method and apparatus for detection of electrical overstress
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsTerrance J. Dishongh, David H. Pullen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A circuit that senses changes in the electrical characteristics of one or more circuit elements and generates one or more signals based, at least in part, on the electrical characteristics that are sensed, is incorporated into an integrated circuit. In a further aspect of the present invention, the one or more signals generated by the circuit are indicative of the reliability of an electronic device into which an embodiment of the present invention is incorporated.
Claims14
A method comprising:
- sensing voltages that are determinative of overstress conditions occurring within an integrated circuit, the overstress conditions determined by electrical characteristics of circuit elements having different overstress thresholds to detect different overstress conditions within the integrated circuit;
- generating an output signal to indicate an occurrence of a particular overstress condition when detecting for different overstress conditions within the integrated circuit.
A method comprising:
- sensing voltages that are determinative of overstress conditions occurring within an electronic system, the overstress conditions determined by electrical characteristics of circuit elements having different overstress thresholds to detect different overstress conditions within the electronic system;
- generating an output signal to indicate an occurrence of a particular overstress condition when detecting for different overstress conditions within the electronic system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.