Skip to main content
OSTI.GOVU.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information
 

Thermally-induced voltage alteration for integrated circuit analysis

Patent ·
OSTI ID:873048

A thermally-induced voltage alteration (TIVA) apparatus and method are disclosed for analyzing an integrated circuit (IC) either from a device side of the IC or through the IC substrate to locate any open-circuit or short-circuit defects therein. The TIVA apparatus uses constant-current biasing of the IC while scanning a focused laser beam over electrical conductors (i.e. a patterned metallization) in the IC to produce localized heating of the conductors. This localized heating produces a thermoelectric potential due to the Seebeck effect in any conductors with open-circuit defects and a resistance change in any conductors with short-circuit defects, both of which alter the power demand by the IC and thereby change the voltage of a source or power supply providing the constant-current biasing. By measuring the change in the supply voltage and the position of the focused and scanned laser beam over time, any open-circuit or short-circuit defects in the IC can be located and imaged. The TIVA apparatus can be formed in part from a scanning optical microscope, and has applications for qualification testing or failure analysis of ICs.

Research Organization:
SANDIA CORP
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000
Assignee:
Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)
Patent Number(s):
US 6078183
OSTI ID:
873048
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (4)

Various Contrasts Identifiable From the Backside of a Chip by 1.3μm Laser Beam Scanning and Current Change Imaging conference November 1996
New capabilities of OBIRCH method for fault localization and defect detection conference January 1997
Thermal and Optical Enhancements to Liquid Crystal Hot Spot Detection Methods conference October 1997
New non-bias optical beam induced current (NB-OBIC) technique for evaluation of Al interconnects conference January 1995

Similar Records

Thermally-induced voltage alteration for integrated circuit analysis
Patent · Tue Jun 20 00:00:00 EDT 2000 · OSTI ID:20075850
Thermally-induced voltage alteration for analysis of microelectromechanical devices
Patent · Mon Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 2001 · OSTI ID:874530
LDRD final report backside localization of open and shorted IC interconnections LDRD Project (FY98 and FY 99)
Technical Report · Fri Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1999 · OSTI ID:750173

Related Subjects

/324/
alter
alteration
analysis
analyzing
apparatus
applications
beam
biasing
change
circuit
circuit analysis
conductors
constant-current
defects
defects therein
demand
device
disclosed
due
effect
electric potential
electrical
electrical conductor
electrical conductors
failure
failure analysis
focused
focused laser
formed
heating
ics
imaged
integrated
integrated circuit
laser
laser beam
localized
localized heating
locate
located
measuring
metallization
method
microscope
open-circuit
open-circuit defects
optical
optical microscope
patterned
patterned metal
position
potential
power
power demand
power supply
produce
produces
providing
qualification
resistance
resistance change
scanned
scanning
seebeck
short-circuit
source
substrate
supply
supply providing
supply voltage
testing
therein
thermally-induced
thermally-induced voltage
thermoelectric
time
tiva
voltage
voltage alteration