Value-added defect testing techniques

In the transition from micrometer to nanometer technologies, many things have changed, but customer demands for low defects-per-million (DPM) failure rates have not. Modern electronic and mechanical systems contain an ever-increasing number of semiconductor components with each component containing ever-increasing gate counts per chip. With traditional quality levels, the reliability of these systems can degrade severely. Therefore, system providers must dramatically improve the reliability of each component to maintain system reliability at all levels. This article describes advanced design-for-manufacturability (DFM) test methods that target defect coverage, yield learning, and cost. The authors argue that testing can be useful for more than filtering chips. It can directly help target test pattern provide DFM tools and reduce overall costs.