Electricity: measuring and testing – Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components – Of individual circuit component or element
Reexamination Certificate
2008-07-15
2008-07-15
Nguyen, Vinh P (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
07400162
ABSTRACT:
Methods for testing a semiconductor circuit (10) including testing the circuit and modifying a well bias (14, 18) of the circuit during testing. The methods improve the resolution of voltage-based and IDDQ testing and diagnosis by modifying well bias during testing. In addition, the methods provide more efficient stresses during stress testing. The methods apply to ICs where the semiconductor well (wells and/or substrates) are wired separately from the chip VDD and GND, allowing for external control (40) of the well potentials during test. In general, the methods rely on using the well bias to change transistor threshold voltages.
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Gattiker Anne
Grosch David A.
Knox Marc D.
Motika Franco
Nigh Phil
Abate Joseph P.
Hoffman Warnick & D'Alessandro LLC
International Business Machines - Corporation
Nguyen Vinh P
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