Measuring a characteristic of an integrated circuit

Details Measuring a characteristic of an integrated circuit Measuring a characteristic of an integrated circuit

2000-04-10

2002-10-22

Sherry, Michael (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

06469533

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND
The invention relates to measuring a characteristic of an integrated circuit.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, an integrated circuit (a microprocessor, for example) typically is fabricated on a die
10
of a silicon wafer. Before the die is encased with a packaging encapsulant, the integrated circuit may be tested. In this manner, a conventional technique for testing the integrated circuit may include placing a test probe
14
on a test pad
16
of the circuit and observing some electrical characteristic (a voltage or a current, for example) of the integrated circuit on a tester
12
, for example, to evaluate the circuit's performance.
Unfortunately, the probe
14
may introduce an electrical load on the integrated circuit, and this load may change the operating conditions of the integrated circuit. Thus, the signal that is measured by the probe
14
may not be accurate. Furthermore, the above-described probing technique may not be efficient because of the length of preparation time that may be needed, and the technique may require a sophisticated probing skill. Therefore, the success rate and testing throughput of this technique may be very low.
Thus, there is a continuing need for an arrangement that addresses one or more of the problems that are stated above.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4853654 (1989-08-01), Sakurai
patent: 5477182 (1995-12-01), Huizer
patent: 5510750 (1996-04-01), Cho
patent: 5808476 (1998-09-01), Lee et al.
patent: 5847617 (1998-12-01), Reddy et al.
patent: 5959446 (1999-09-01), Kuckreja
patent: 6275079 (2001-08-01), Park

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