Using time resolved light emission from VLSI circuit devices for navigation on complex systems

A method for determining the location of a circuit element in an integrated circuit chip, comprising:

• selecting a logical input for the integrated circuit chip that will result in the switching of the element to be located;
• applying the logical input to the integrated circuit chip;
• capturing an image of light emissions resulting from the switching of circuit elements on the integrated circuit chip as the integrated circuit chip processes the logical input;
• and
• using the captured light emissions to identify the location of the circuit element to be located;
• wherein the chip includes one or more fiducial elements disposed on the chip in predetermined locations.

A method for determining the location of a circuit element in an integrated circuit chip, comprising:

• selecting a logical input for the integrated circuit chip that will result in the switching of the element to be located;
• applying the logical input to the integrated circuit chip;
• capturing an image of light emissions resulting from the switching of circuit elements on the integrated circuit chip as the integrated circuit chip processes the logical input;
• and
• using the captured light emissions to identify the location of the circuit element to be located;
• wherein the logical input comprises a group of sequentially applied signals selected so as to actuate the circuit element to be located;
• and
• wherein the step of capturing comprises, for each of the sequentially applied logic signals, accumulating as a single image the light emitted from the chip over the course of the circuit's processing of the logical input signal.

A method for determining the location of a circuit element in an integrated circuit chip, comprising:

• selecting a logical input for the integrated circuit chip that will result in the switching of the element to be located;
• applying the logical input to the integrated circuit chip;
• capturing an image of light emissions resulting from the switching of circuit elements on the integrated circuit chip as the integrated circuit chip processes the logical input;
• and
• using the captured light emissions to identify the location of the circuit element to be located;
• wherein the logical input comprises a group of sequentially applied signals selected so as to actuate the circuit element to be located;
• wherein the step of identifying the location of the circuit element comprises comparing two or more images of light emissions resulting from the switching of circuit elements on the chip, each of the sequentially applied signals producing a corresponding image of light emissions;
• and
• wherein the chip includes one or more fiducial elements disposed on the chip in predetermined locations.

A method for determining the location of a circuit element in an integrated circuit chip, comprising:

• selecting a logical input for the integrated circuit chip that will result in the switching of the element to be located;
• applying the logical input to the integrated circuit chip;
• capturing an image of light emissions resulting from the switching of circuit elements on the integrated circuit chip as the integrated circuit chip processes the logical input;
• and
• using the captured light emissions to identify the location of the circuit element to be located;
• wherein the location of the circuit element to be located is used as a reference point for comparison of the image of light emissions resulting from the switching of circuit elements on the chip with later captured images.

A system for determining the location of a circuit element in an integrated circuit chip, comprising:

• means for applying a logical input to the integrated circuit chip, the logical input selected such that it will result in the switching of the circuit element to be located;
• means for capturing an image of light emissions resulting from the switching of circuit elements on the integrated circuit chip as the integrated circuit processes the logical input;
• means for using the captured light emissions to identify the location of the circuit element to be located;
• and
• means for storing data indicating, for each emission of light from the chip, the location on the chip from which the emission originated along with data indicating the time of the emission.