System and method for voltage noise and jitter measurement using time-resolved emission
AssigneeDCG Systems, Inc.
InventorsSteven Kasapi, Gary Leonard Woods
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Time-resolved emission can be used to measure loop-synchronous, small-signal voltage perturbation in integrated circuits. In this technique the measurements are completely non-invasive and so reflect the true device behavior. The time-dependant propagation delay caused by Vdd modulation also shows the expected qualitative signature. This technique should find applications in circuits with relatively fast clock-like circuits where loop-synchronous voltage pickup is limiting circuit behavior.
Claims13
A system for measuring local voltage variation in an integrated circuit and related device response, comprising:
- a non-contact sensor for non-invasively acquiring a plurality of transition events from an integrated circuit and providing a transition events signal;
- and
- a processor programmed to receiving the transition events signal and perform the following operations:
- fitting a mathematical curve to the transition events signal;
- recording and measuring the positions in time, durations, and amplitudes of each peak in the curve, wherein each peak correspond to one of the transition events;
- and
- calculating the device response using at least one of the time, durations, and amplitude of a plurality of the transition events.
A system for measuring local voltage variation and synchronous timing perturbation of propagation delay induced by the local voltage variation in an integrated circuit comprising a first device and a second device physically separated from each other, the system comprising:
- a non-contact emission detection system that is configured to detect a first photon emission signal from the first device and a second photon emission signal from the second device obtained during corresponding transition events occurring in response to a known time-varying bias voltage and a stimulating test vector applied repeatedly to the devices over a period of time;
- a processor configured to extract local voltage variation calibration data from a peak amplitude variation of at least one of the first photon emission signal and the second photon emission signal, and to extract timing perturbation calibration data from a timing difference between respective peak amplitude positions in the first photon emission signal and the second photon emission signal, wherein a peak amplitude corresponds to a transition event;
- and
- a memory to store the local voltage variation calibration data and timing perturbation calibration data for future use during a subsequent measurement of local voltage variation and synchronous timing perturbation of propagation delay in the integrated circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.