Testing techniques for VLSI circuits are undergoing many exciting changes. The predominant method for testing digital circuits consists of applying a set of input stimuli to the IC and monitoring the logic levels at primary outputs. If, for one or more inputs, there is a discrepancy between the observed output and the expected output then the IC is declared to be defective. A new approach to testing digital circuits, which has come to be known as IDDQ testing, has been actively researched for the last fifteen years. In IDDQ testing, the steady state supply current, rather than the logic levels at the primary outputs, is monitored. Years of research suggests that IDDQ testing can significantly improve the quality and reliability of fabricated circuits. This has prompted many semiconductor manufacturers to adopt this testing technique, among them Philips Semiconductors, Ford Microelectronics, Intel, Texas Instruments, LSI Logic, Hewlett-Packard, SUN microsystems, Alcatel, and SGS Thomson. This increase in the use of IDDQ testing should be of interest to three groups of individuals associated with the IC business: Product Managers and Test Engineers, CAD Tool Vendors and Circuit Designers. Introduction to IDDQ Testing is designed to educate this community. The authors have summarized in one volume the main findings of more than fifteen years of research in this area.

Power supply current monitoring to detect CMOS IC defects during production testing quietly laid down its roots in the mid-1970s. Both Sandia Labs and RCA in the United States and Philips Labs in the Netherlands practiced this procedure on their CMOS ICs. At that time, this practice stemmed simply from an intuitive sense that CMOS ICs showing abnormal quiescent power supply current (IDDQ) contained defects. Later, this intuition was supported by data and analysis in the 1980s by Levi (RACD, Malaiya and Su (SUNY-Binghamton), Soden and Hawkins (Sandia Labs and the University of New Mexico), Jacomino and co-workers (Laboratoire d'Automatique de Grenoble), and Maly and co-workers (Carnegie Mellon University). Interest in IDDQ testing has advanced beyond the data reported in the 1980s and is now focused on applications and evaluations involving larger volumes of ICs that improve quality beyond what can be achieved by previous conventional means. In the conventional style of testing one attempts to propagate the logic states of the suspended nodes to primary outputs. This is done for all or most nodes of the circuit. For sequential circuits, in particular, the complexity of finding suitable tests is very high. In comparison, the IDDQ test does not observe the logic states, but measures the integrated current that leaks through all gates. In other words, it is like measuring a patient's temperature to determine the state of health. Despite perceived advantages, during the years that followed its initial announcements, skepticism about the practicality of IDDQ testing prevailed. The idea, however, provided a great opportunity to researchers. New results on test generation, fault simulation, design for testability, built-in self-test, and diagnosis for this style of testing have since been reported. After a decade of research, we are definitely closer to practice.

This book discusses in detail the correlation between physical defects and logic faults, and shows you how Iddq testing locates these defects. The book provides planning guidelines and optimization methods and is illustrated with numerous examples ranging from simple circuits to extensive case studies.

Focussing on micro- and nanoelectronics design and technology, this book provides thorough analysis and demonstration, starting from semiconductor devices to VLSI fabrication, designing (analog and digital), on-chip interconnect modeling culminating with emerging non-silicon/ nano devices. It gives detailed description of both theoretical as well as industry standard HSPICE, Verilog, Cadence simulation based real-time modeling approach with focus on fabrication of bulk and nano-devices. Each chapter of this proposed title starts with a brief introduction of the presented topic and ends with a summary indicating the futuristic aspect including practice questions. Aimed at researchers and senior undergraduate/graduate students in electrical and electronics engineering, microelectronics, nanoelectronics and nanotechnology, this book: Provides broad and comprehensive coverage from Microelectronics to Nanoelectronics including design in analog and digital electronics. Includes HDL, and VLSI design going into the nanoelectronics arena. Discusses devices, circuit analysis, design methodology, and real-time simulation based on industry standard HSPICE tool. Explores emerging devices such as FinFETs, Tunnel FETs (TFETs) and CNTFETs including their circuit co-designing. Covers real time illustration using industry standard Verilog, Cadence and Synopsys simulations.

This is a new type of edited volume in the Frontiers in Electronic Testing book series devoted to recent advances in electronic circuits testing. The book is a comprehensive elaboration on important topics which capture major research and development efforts today. "Hot" topics of current interest to test technology community have been selected, and the authors are key contributors in the corresponding topics.

Device testing represents the single largest manufacturing expense in the semiconductor industry, costing over $40 billion a year. The most comprehensive and wide ranging book of its kind, Testing of Digital Systems covers everything you need to know about this vitally important subject. Starting right from the basics, the authors take the reader through automatic test pattern generation, design for testability and built-in self-test of digital circuits before moving on to more advanced topics such as IDDQ testing, functional testing, delay fault testing, memory testing, and fault diagnosis. The book includes detailed treatment of the latest techniques including test generation for various fault models, discussion of testing techniques at different levels of integrated circuit hierarchy and a chapter on system-on-a-chip test synthesis. Written for students and engineers, it is both an excellent senior/graduate level textbook and a valuable reference.

This textbook provides a comprehensive, fully-updated introduction to the essentials of nanometer CMOS integrated circuits. It includes aspects of scaling to even beyond 12nm CMOS technologies and designs. It clearly describes the fundamental CMOS operating principles and presents substantial insight into the various aspects of design implementation and application. Coverage includes all associated disciplines of nanometer CMOS ICs, including physics, lithography, technology, design, memories, VLSI, power consumption, variability, reliability and signal integrity, testing, yield, failure analysis, packaging, scaling trends and road blocks. The text is based upon in-house Philips, NXP Semiconductors, Applied Materials, ASML, IMEC, ST-Ericsson, TSMC, etc., courseware, which, to date, has been completed by more than 4500 engineers working in a large variety of related disciplines: architecture, design, test, fabrication process, packaging, failure analysis and software.

This Third Edition updates a landmark text with the latest findings The Third Edition of the internationally lauded Semiconductor Material and Device Characterization brings the text fully up-to-date with the latest developments in the field and includes new pedagogical tools to assist readers. Not only does the Third Edition set forth all the latest measurement techniques, but it also examines new interpretations and new applications of existing techniques. Semiconductor Material and Device Characterization remains the sole text dedicated to characterization techniques for measuring semiconductor materials and devices. Coverage includes the full range of electrical and optical characterization methods, including the more specialized chemical and physical techniques. Readers familiar with the previous two editions will discover a thoroughly revised and updated Third Edition, including: Updated and revised figures and examples reflecting the most current data and information 260 new references offering access to the latest research and discussions in specialized topics New problems and review questions at the end of each chapter to test readers' understanding of the material In addition, readers will find fully updated and revised sections in each chapter. Plus, two new chapters have been added: Charge-Based and Probe Characterization introduces charge-based measurement and Kelvin probes. This chapter also examines probe-based measurements, including scanning capacitance, scanning Kelvin force, scanning spreading resistance, and ballistic electron emission microscopy. Reliability and Failure Analysis examines failure times and distribution functions, and discusses electromigration, hot carriers, gate oxide integrity, negative bias temperature instability, stress-induced leakage current, and electrostatic discharge. Written by an internationally recognized authority in the field, Semiconductor Material and Device Characterization remains essential reading for graduate students as well as for professionals working in the field of semiconductor devices and materials. An Instructor's Manual presenting detailed solutions to all the problems in the book is available from the Wiley editorial department.