Core interconnect testing hazards

Interconnects must not only be analyzed with regard to opens and shorts but also with regard to the signal delays. Up to now, opens and shorts in bus systems on boards have been tested using boundary scan, mostly neglecting delay test. In addition, it has to be considered that the signal delay (i.e. the time when the signal crosses the switching threshold of the following gate) on a certain line within a bus system depends on the set of input signals of all bus lines. Furthermore, hazards can occur due to coupling between bus lines which can lead to an incorrect function of the whole circuit. Different interconnect systems with different test patterns have been analyzed and the results for 0.10 μm technology will be given. The geometric data for the interconnects in 0.10 μm technology has been derived or directly extracted from the SIA-Roadmap. With this data the line parameters for the simulation of the interconnects have been calculated with the help of a tool which takes into account conducting substrates