System and method for AC performance tuning by thereshold voltage shifting in tubbed semiconductor technology

A method of adjusting voltage thresholds for reducing AC test failures during integrated circuit wafer testing, said wafer having a plurality of gates, circuits, and bulk well voltages, said method comprising:

• generating a gate level netlist for said integrated circuit wafer;
• performing static timing analyses on said gate level netlist;
• simulating said gate level netlist against performance verification test cases;
• generating integrated circuit simulation traces for said plurality of circuits;
• calculating an expected frequency versus process profile;
• assigning pass/fail timing criteria for each of said performance verification test cases;
• exercising said performance verification test cases against said plurality of circuits;
• correlating circuit failures of said performance verification test cases to said plurality of circuits;
• analyzing and isolating said circuit failures in said integrated circuit wafer based on said pass/fail timing criteria;
• calculating a list of voltage threshold shifts corresponding to said bulk well voltages;
• verifying set-up and hold margins of said plurality of circuits using said list of voltage threshold shifts;
• obtaining voltage threshold corrections;
• and,
• applying said voltage threshold corrections to all sites on said integrated circuit wafer.

A processor based system including a program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for AC performance tuning by threshold voltage shifting on an integrated circuit wafer having a plurality of gates, circuits, and bulk well voltages, said method steps comprising:

• analyzing each of said plurality of circuits against a plurality of performance verification test cases;
• identifying failed circuits that do not pass said plurality of performance verification test cases;
• calculating voltage threshold values for said failed circuits;
• performing a static timing analysis on said plurality of circuits, substituting said calculated voltage threshold values for said bulk well voltages;
• programming said integrated circuit wafer to operate at said calculated voltage threshold values that pass said static timing analysis;
• and,
• reanalyzing said plurality of circuits having programmed said calculated voltage threshold values against said plurality of performance verification tests.

A computer program product comprising:

• a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing AC performance tuning by threshold voltage shifting on an integrated circuit wafer having a plurality of gates, circuits, and bulk well voltages, the computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising:
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect analyzing each of said plurality of circuits against a plurality of performance verification test cases;
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect identifying failed circuits that do not pass said plurality of performance verification test cases;
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect calculating voltage threshold values for said failed circuits;
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect performing a static timing analysis on said plurality of circuits, substituting said calculated voltage threshold values for said bulk well voltages;
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect programming said integrated circuit wafer to operate at said calculated voltage threshold values that pass said static timing analysis;
• and,
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect reanalyzing said plurality of circuits having programmed said calculated voltage threshold values against said plurality of performance verification tests.

A computer program product comprising:

• a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing AC performance tuning by threshold voltage shifting on an integrated circuit wafer having a plurality of gates, circuits, and bulk well voltages, the computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising:
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect generating a gate level netlist for said integrated circuit wafer;
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect performing static timing analyses on said gate level netlist;
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect simulating said gate level netlist against performance verification test cases;
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect generating integrated circuit simulation traces for said plurality of circuits;
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect calculating an expected frequency versus process profile;
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect assigning pass/fail timing criteria for each of said performance verification test cases;
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect exercising said performance verification test cases against said plurality of circuits;
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect correlating circuit failures of said performance verification test cases to said plurality of circuits;
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect analyzing and isolating said circuit failures in said integrated circuit wafer based on said pass/fail timing criteria;
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect calculating a list of voltage threshold shifts corresponding to said bulk well voltages;
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect verifying set-up and hold margins of said plurality of circuits using said list of voltage threshold shifts;
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect obtaining voltage threshold corrections;
• and,
• computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect applying said voltage threshold corrections to all sites on said integrated circuit wafer.