Title :
Switching Time Extraction of CMOS Gates using Time-Resolved Emission (TRE)
Author :
Stellari, Franco ; Tosi, Alberto ; Song, Peilin
Author_Institution :
IBM T.J. Watson Res. Center, Yorktown Heights, NY
Abstract :
The picosecond imaging for circuit analysis (PICA) technique, based on the collection of near-infrared (NIR) light emitted by hot-carriers in the transistor channel, has shown to be an invaluable method for measuring timing information and detecting faults in modern VLSI circuits. The optical waveforms obtained with this technique allow measuring propagation delays, signal skews and other time-dependent information in a non-invasive and very effective way. In this paper, we present an innovative methodology, with experimental confirmation, for extracting the switching time (slew rate) of a gate by means of time-resolved optical measurements (using PICA) and optical simulations based on a luminescence model in a SPICE simulator. The method represents a valuable extension of the set of PICA measurements for both circuit testing and improving hardware-model correlation, and thus process yield and reliability
Keywords :
CMOS logic circuits; SPICE; VLSI; hot carriers; integrated circuit testing; luminescence; network analysis; CMOS gates; NIR light emission; PICA technique; SPICE simulator; TRE; VLSI circuits; circuit testing; fault detection; hardware-model correlation; hot-carriers; innovative methodology; luminescence model; near-infrared light emission; optical simulations; optical waveforms; picosecond imaging for circuit analysis technique; process reliability; process yield; propagation delays; switching time extraction; time-resolved emission; time-resolved optical measurements; transistor channel; Circuit analysis; Circuit faults; Circuit simulation; Data mining; Electrical fault detection; Fault detection; Hot carriers; Optical imaging; Timing; Very large scale integration; Picosecond Imaging Circuit Analysis (PICA); Time Resolved Emission (TRE); emission model; fall-time; rise-time; slew rate; switching time;
Conference_Titel :
Reliability Physics Symposium Proceedings, 2006. 44th Annual., IEEE International
Conference_Location :
San Jose, CA
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-9498-4
Electronic_ISBN :
0-7803-9499-2
DOI :
10.1109/RELPHY.2006.251280