Built-In Self-Test, Diagnosis, and Repair of MultiMode Power Switches

Recently proposed power-gating structures for intermediate power-off modes offer significant power saving benefits as they reduce the leakage power during short periods of inactivity. Even though they are very effective for reducing static power consumption, their reliable operation can be compromised by process variations and manufacturing defects. In this paper, we propose a signature analysis technique to efficiently test power-gating structures that provide intermediate power-off modes. Based on this technique, a methodology to repair catastrophic and parametric faults, and to tolerate process variations is presented. For testing and repairing multimode power switches, we propose a robust built-in self-test and built-in self-repair scheme that reduces test cost and obviates additional manufacturing steps for post-silicon repair. Simulation results highlight the low-cost and effectiveness of the proposed method for detecting, diagnosing, and repairing defects.