Reliability test screen optimization

A method of optimizing power usage in an integrated circuit design, said method comprising:

• manufacturing integrated circuit devices according to an integrated circuit design using manufacturing equipment, said integrated circuit design producing integrated circuit devices that are identically designed and perform at different operating speeds caused by manufacturing process variations;
• sorting said integrated circuit devices after manufacture into relatively slow integrated circuit devices and relatively fast integrated circuit devices to classify said integrated circuit devices into different voltage bins, said relatively fast integrated circuit devices having a smaller delay and consuming more power than said relatively slow integrated circuit devices,
• establishing a bin-specific reliability testing processes comprising burn-in testing for each of said voltage bins;
• performing reliability testing using said bin-specific reliability testing processes for each of said voltage bins on said integrated circuit devices using a tester;
• identifying as defective ones of said integrated circuit devices that fail said bin-specific reliability testing processes of a corresponding voltage bin into which each of said integrated circuit devices has been classified;
• removing said defective ones of said integrated circuit devices to allow only non-defective integrated circuit devices to remain;
• and
• supplying said non-defective integrated circuit devices to a customer.

A method of optimizing power usage in an integrated circuit design, said method comprising:

• manufacturing integrated circuit devices according to an integrated circuit design using manufacturing equipment, said integrated circuit design producing integrated circuit devices that are identically designed and perform at different operating speeds caused by manufacturing process variations;
• sorting said integrated circuit devices after manufacture into relatively slow integrated circuit devices and relatively fast integrated circuit devices to classify said integrated circuit devices into different voltage bins, said relatively fast integrated circuit devices having a smaller delay and consuming more power than said relatively slow integrated circuit devices,
• establishing a bin-specific reliability testing processes comprising enhanced voltage screening, and dynamic voltage screening for each of said voltage bins;
• performing reliability testing using said bin-specific reliability testing processes for each of said voltage bins on said integrated circuit devices using a tester;
• identifying as defective ones of said integrated circuit devices that fail said bin-specific reliability testing processes of a corresponding voltage bin into which each of said integrated circuit devices has been classified;
• removing said defective ones of said integrated circuit devices to allow only non-defective integrated circuit devices to remain;
• and
• operatively connecting a plurality of said non-defective integrated circuit devices to a power controller to create a device.

A testing system comprising:

• a support having a plurality of integrated circuit devices mounted thereon, said integrated circuit devices being manufactured from an identical circuit design, and said integrated circuit devices performing at different operating speeds based on manufacturing process variations;
• a test device operatively connected to said integrated circuit devices through said support;
• and
• a non-transitory storage medium operatively connected to said test device,
• said test device performing testing according to instructions stored in said non-transitory storage medium,
• said instructions causing said test device to perform a method comprising:
• sorting said integrated circuit devices after manufacture into relatively slow integrated circuit devices and relatively fast integrated circuit devices to classify said integrated circuit devices into different voltage bins, said relatively fast integrated circuit devices having a smaller delay and consuming more power than said relatively slow integrated circuit devices,
• establishing a bin-specific reliability testing processes comprising burn-in testing for each of said voltage bins;
• performing reliability testing using said bin-specific reliability testing processes for each of said voltage bins on said integrated circuit devices using a tester;
• identifying as defective ones of said integrated circuit devices that fail said bin-specific reliability testing processes of a corresponding voltage bin into which each of said integrated circuit devices has been classified;
• removing said defective ones of said integrated circuit devices to allow only non-defective integrated circuit devices to remain;
• and
• operatively connecting a plurality of said non-defective integrated circuit devices to a power controller to create a device.

A non-transitory computer storage medium storing instructions and being readable by a computerized device, said instructions causing said computerized device to perform a method of optimizing power usage in an integrated circuit design, said method comprising:

• receiving integrated circuit devices manufactured according to an integrated circuit design using manufacturing equipment, said integrated circuit design producing integrated circuit devices that are identically designed and perform at different operating speeds caused by manufacturing process variations;
• sorting said integrated circuit devices after manufacture into relatively slow integrated circuit devices and relatively fast integrated circuit devices to classify said integrated circuit devices into different voltage bins, said relatively fast integrated circuit devices having a smaller delay and consuming more power than said relatively slow integrated circuit devices,
• establishing a bin-specific reliability testing processes based on design limits and limits based on empirical testing at operating conditions, said establishing of said bin-specific reliability testing processes comprising enhanced voltage screening, dynamic voltage screening, and burn-in testing for each of said voltage bins;
• performing reliability testing using said bin-specific reliability testing processes for each of said voltage bins on said integrated circuit devices using a tester;
• identifying as defective ones of said integrated circuit devices that fail said bin-specific reliability testing processes of a corresponding voltage bin into which each of said integrated circuit devices has been classified;
• removing said defective ones of said integrated circuit devices to allow only non-defective integrated circuit devices to remain;
• and
• operatively connecting a plurality of said non-defective integrated circuit devices to a power controller to create a device.