Proteantecs Ltd.

Intel Corporation

Inbar Weintrob

Eyal Fayneh

Evelyn Landman

Shai Cohen

Yahel David

Guy Redler

Yair Talker

Alexander Gendler

Arye Albahari

Yossi Ben Simon

Alexander Burlak

Edi Shmueli

Faten Tanasra

Shai Tzroia

Generation of a clock signal in a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) is controlled using a Noise Modulation Agent (NMA), configured to measure the clock signal and output a parameter indicative of an effective cycle time of the clock signal. An Adaptive Frequency Scaling (AFS) circuit selectively adjusts a frequency of the clock signal, based on the output of the NMA indicating a change in a power supply voltage of the semiconductor IC.

Adaptive frequency scaling based on clock cycle time measurement

A semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) comprising a time-to-digital converter (TDC) configured to measure an input-to-output delay of an I/O buffer of a pad the IC, the measured delay reflecting a connection impedance of the pad. A circuit in the IC, or a computer in communication with the IC, determines electrical connection integrity of the pad based on the measured delay of the I/O buffer.

Integrated circuit pad failure detection

A method comprising using at least one hardware processor for: running a Monte Carlo simulation of possible integrated circuit (IC) process variations of each of a plurality of IC cell types, wherein each of the plurality of IC cell types is defined by multiple specific transistors and multiple specific interconnects; based on the results of the Monte Carlo simulation, creating a library of IC cell types and their corresponding behavioral values for each of the possible IC process variations, and storing the library in a non-transient memory; receiving an IC design embodied as a digital file; correlating the received IC design with the library; and predicting a frequency distribution and a power distribution of ICs manufactured according to the IC design.

Efficient integrated circuit simulation and testing

An integrated circuit (IC) comprising: a margin measurement circuit configured to monitor multiple data paths of the IC and to output, at different times, different ranges of remaining margins of the multiple data paths; a workload sensor configured to output a value representing aggregate operational stress experienced by the IC over a period of time ending at each of the different times; and a processor configured to: (i) compute, based on the value output by said workload sensor, an upper bound and a lower bound of change of the remaining margin of the IC, and (ii) compute upper and lower bounds of a current remaining margin of the IC, based on (a) the upper and lower bounds of change, and (b) a remaining margin indicated by a border between two adjacent ranges outputted by the margin measurement circuit.

Integrated circuit workload, temperature, and/or sub-threshold leakage sensor

A semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) comprising a signal path combiner, comprising a plurality of input paths and an output path. The IC comprises a delay circuit having an input electrically connected to the output path, the delay circuit delaying an input signal by a variable delay time to output a delayed signal path. The IC may comprise a first storage circuit electrically connected to the output path and a second storage circuit electrically connected to the delayed signal path. The IC comprises a comparison circuit that compares outputs of the signal path combiner and the delayed signal, wherein the comparison circuit comprises a comparison output provided in a comparison data signal to at least one mitigation circuit.

Integrated circuit margin measurement and failure prediction device

An input/output (I/O) block for a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC), which includes: at least one I/O buffer, configured to define at least one signal path in respect of a connection to a remote I/O block via a communication channel, each signal path causing a respective signal edge slope; and an I/O sensor, coupled to the at least one signal path and configured to generate an output signal indicative of one or both of: (a) a timing difference between the signal edge for a first signal path and the signal edge for a second signal path, and (b) an eye pattern parameter for one or more of the at least one signal path.

Integrated circuit I/O integrity and degradation monitoring

Integrated circuit degradation estimation and time-of-failure prediction using workload and margin sensing

Determination of one or more operating conditions (leakage current, temperature and/or workload) of a functional transistor in a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC). The functional transistor provides an electrical current, which is provided as an input to a ring oscillator (ROSC). The ROSC is located in the IC proximate to the functional transistor and has an oscillation frequency in operation. The one or more operating conditions of the functional transistor are determined based on the oscillation frequency of the ROSC.

Integrated circuit workload, temperature and/or subthreshold leakage sensor

A semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) comprising a time-to-digital converter circuit (TDC), wherein time inputs to the TDC are (i) one or more input to an input/output (I/O) buffer of a pad of the IC, and (ii) one or more output from the I/O buffer. The IC comprises a digital comparator circuit electrically configured to: receive a stream of digital output values from the TDC, compare each value of the stream to one or more previous value in the stream, and when the comparison reflects a difference value greater than a threshold, issuing a notification to a user of the IC.

Described herein are apparatus, system, and method for providing clock signal on demand. The method comprises determining an indication of clock signal usage in multiple hardware logic units; generating an enable signal according to the indication; and gating or un-gating the clock signal for clock islands of at least a hardware logic unit, of the multiple hardware logic units, in response to a logic level of the enable signal, wherein the clock islands are part of a global clock distribution network and are operable to be enabled or disabled independently.

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Givat-Ada, Israel

Inbar Weintrob