Electricity: measuring and testing – Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components – Of individual circuit component or element
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-29
2004-09-14
Tang, Minh N. (Department: 2829)
Electricity: measuring and testing
Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components
Of individual circuit component or element
C324S1540PB
Reexamination Certificate
active
06791348
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The field of the invention is that of testing integrated circuits having on-chip power supplies.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Testing integrated circuits, has become both more difficult and more important as the complexity of the circuits has increased.
The amount of resources spent in conventional burn-in and functional margin testing accounts for a non-trivial fraction of chip manufacturing cost. Sending a chip through a thermal cycle and testing it with a highly expensive automated tester is an expense that can be avoided if the chip can be eliminated by a less expensive method.
In addition, there is a class of latent defects that do not show up as fatal flaws in a conventional test, but have a high probability of causing the chip to fail.
In the past, excessive current draw has been tested by applying a voltage to the module or chip through a resistor and measuring the voltage drop across the test resistor. This procedure requires extra wiring on the chip that consumes space.
The art could benefit from a simple and inexpensive testing technique adapted to identify chips with a high probability of failing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to integrated circuits having an on-chip current measurement for identifying circuits that draw current above their design specifications.
A feature of the invention is use of charge pumps present on the chip.
Another feature of the invention is a digital measurement of current draw by counting cycles of the charge pump.
Another feature of the invention is the use of circuit elements already present in the chip for testing.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5381373 (1995-01-01), Ohsawa
patent: 6462996 (2002-10-01), Ooishi
patent: 6577547 (2003-06-01), Ukon
Barth, Jr. John Edward
Parries Paul Christian
Blecker Ira D.
Tang Minh N.
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