Through-silicon via (TSV) crack sensors for detecting TSV cracks in three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuits (ICs) (3DICs), and related methods and systems

A method for testing a three-dimensional integrated circuit (3DIC) for through-silicon via (TSV) cracks, comprising:

• providing a current to a first interconnection point of a network of parallel TSV crack sensors positioned between electrical circuits positioned on different layers of a 3DIC, wherein each layer of the 3DIC comprises a distinct substrate;
• measuring a voltage across the network of the parallel TSV crack sensors based on the current;
• comparing the measured voltage to a nominal voltage;
• providing an indication that the 3DIC is defective because of a crack proximate a TSV if the measured voltage is higher than the nominal voltage;
• and
• providing an indication that the 3DIC is not defective if the measured voltage is substantially equal to the nominal voltage.

A through-silicon via (TSV) redundant crack sensor circuit for a three-dimensional integrated circuit (3DIC), comprising:

• a TSV pair configured to interconnect electrical circuits having respective substrates positioned on at least two layers of the 3DIC;
• a TSV crack sensor pair, each TSV crack sensor of the TSV crack sensor pair corresponding to a TSV of the TSV pair and configured to detect a crack proximate the corresponding TSV, each TSV crack sensor comprising:
• a doped ring disposed around the corresponding TSV;
• a first contact disposed on a first location of the doped ring;
• and
• a second contact disposed on a second location of the doped ring such that a first resistance and a second resistance are provided in the doped ring between the first contact and the second contact;
• and
• a controller corresponding to the TSV pair, the controller coupled to each TSV crack sensor of the TSV crack sensor pair, the controller configured to select the TSV from the corresponding TSV pair based on sensor information from each TSV crack sensor of the corresponding TSV crack sensor pair.

A method for selecting a through-silicon via (TSV) in a TSV redundant crack sensor circuit for a three-dimensional integrated circuit (3DIC), comprising:

• providing, by a current source, a current into a first contact of a first TSV crack sensor of a TSV crack sensor pair corresponding to a first TSV of a TSV pair, wherein the first TSV extends between a first electrical circuit in a first layer of the 3DIC to a second electrical circuit in a second layer of the 3DIC;
• determining, by a control circuit, if a crack is not present in a doped ring disposed around the first TSV of the TSV pair;
• and
• selecting, by the control circuit, the first TSV of the TSV pair when a processor determines that the crack is not present in the doped ring disposed around the first TSV of the TSV pair.