Low Voltage Time-Resolved Emission (TRE) Measurements of VLSI Circuit

Shang Chih Lin,Frank Yong

doi:10.11648/j.ajece.20210502.14

Abstract

Advanced technology nodes with small feature sizes and increased design complexity make it increasingly time-consuming to determine the root cause of yield loss. Several of the defects also occur inside a circuit making physical failure analysis (PFA) and electrical failure analysis (EFA) much more challenging. EFA has been instrumental in driving product yield and reliability for consumer products such as mobile phones and computer chips. It involves the use of state-of-the-art tools and techniques. One of the main changes EFA analyses is an enhancement of dynamic EFA in circuit failed in functional test. We propose a technique for advanced Electrical Failure Analysis (EFA) tool with a Superconducting Nanowire Single Photon Detector (SnSPD) system and its application to low voltage Time-Resolved Emission (TRE) measurements (also known as Picosecond Imaging Circuit Analysis, PICA) of scaled VLSI circuits with enhanced sensitivity for discussing Time Resolved Emission (TRE). In order to understand the figures of advantage that a single-photon detector should have to enable the acquisition of time resolved emission waveforms for low voltage applications. We will provide that measurements down to a low 1 V supply voltage were made possible by a careful optimization of the detector front-end electronics. We also characterized the emission from devices with different threshold voltages in order to understand how the emission contributions depend on this parameter and how this affects the resulting waveform. we hope to be able to show soon even better results that should allow continued application of the non-invasive TRE and PICA technology towards future scaled nodes with smaller gates and lower supply voltages.

Highlights

Time-Resolved Emission (TRE) measurement, is known as Picosecond imaging circuit analysis (PICA), based on A collection of near-infrared light (NIR) emitted by a hot source Carriers in transistor channels are an invaluable method Widely adopted for testing and failure analysis field
Continuing trends in the semiconductor industry for smaller devices and lower supply voltages [23] causes major changes in intensity and spectrum light from IC [24]: detectable light decreases is exponentially related to the electric field in the transistor, and it has a linear relationship with the lateral dimension of the CMOS
We propose a novel time-resolved emissions (TRE) system and its application in low-voltage measurement to scale VLSI circuits

Summary

Introduction

Time-Resolved Emission (TRE) measurement, is known as Picosecond imaging circuit analysis (PICA), based on A collection of near-infrared light (NIR) emitted by a hot source Carriers in transistor channels are an invaluable method Widely adopted for testing and failure analysis field. This technology can be detected non-invasive Probe switching activity inside VLSI circuits for measurements Skew, propagation delay, duty cycle, etc. A decrease in circuit voltage results in longer wavelengths of the spectral distribution of the emitted light For these reasons, the detectors have higher sensitivity at these longer wavelengths, as well as lower intrinsic noise (dark counts), are needed. Single-Photon Detector that system developed by GPM (Gallant Precision Machining)

Experiment

Characterization of the SnSPD System

Low Voltage Circuit Measurement

Propagation Delay Measurements at Low Voltage

Findings

Conclusion