Advanced Micro Devices Corporation

Eugene Zhao

Kurt Taylor

Amit P Marathe

Rolf Geilenkeuser

John Zhang

Joerg-Oliver Weidner

Jay Chan

A method for efficiently and accurately measuring a maximum Vcalculation or failure rate and lifetime projection for microprocessors and other semiconductor products analytically scales low voltages applied to thinner oxides to thicker oxides. The expanded voltage window that is closer to the use voltage is obtained thereby to provide accurate voltage acceleration factors and max Vextraction.

Method for determining projected lifetime of semiconductor devices with analytical extension of stress voltage window by scaling of oxide thickness

Aspects for increasing accuracy in predicting HCI degradation in semiconductor devices are described. The aspects include a gated ring oscillator structure utilized to perform HCI degradation testing with controlling of the gated ring oscillator structure to isolate voltage acceleration degradation from frequency degradation directly during the HCI degradation testing. Further included is a plurality of ring oscillators coupled in series, and first and second control logic for the plurality of ring oscillators for enabling selection of gated operation of the plurality of ring oscillators, wherein each ring oscillator performs a same number of transitions to allow an accurate assessment of HCI degradation based solely on voltage acceleration.

Structure and method for increasing accuracy in predicting hot carrier injection (HCI) degradation in semiconductor devices

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Ashburn, VA, United States of America

Eugene Zhao