Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Industrial Technology Research Institute

National Central University

Ji-Jan Chen

Yun-Han Lee

Sandeep Kumar Goel

Stanley John

Nan-Hsin Tseng

Wei-Pin Changchien

Yen-Hao Huang

Chin-Chou Liu

Yi-Lin Chuang

Ching-Fang Chen

Chin-Her Chien

Kuan-Yu Lin

Yu Chi Lee

Nai-Chen Cheng

Jung-Rung Jiang

Yen-Ling Liu

Samuel C Pan

Yuan-Hua Chu

Wen-Ching Wu

Kuen-Jong Lee

Cheng-Hung Wu

Chi Wei Hu

Ching-Yuan Yang

Chin-Long Wey

Chien-Hui Chen

Saurabh Gupta

Liang-Chia Cheng

Pei-Wen Luo

Hui-Ling Lin

Wei-Cheng Lien

Cheng-Pin Chiu

Charles C C Liu

Jwu-E Chen

A clock distribution circuit configured to output a clock signal includes a first circuit configured to use a reference clock signal to provide first and second reference signals, wherein the second reference signal indicates whether the first reference signal is locked with the reference clock signal; a second circuit configured to use the reference clock signal to provide an output signal and an indication signal indicative whether the output signal is locked with the reference clock signal; and a monitor circuit, coupled to the first and second circuits, and configured to use at least one of the first reference signal, the second reference signal, the output signal, and the indication signal to determine whether the second circuit is functioning correctly.

Phase-locked loop monitor circuit

A device includes a fault generation circuit and a first fault injection circuit. The fault generation circuit is configured to generate a fault signal and a plurality of control signals according to a mode signal. The first fault injection circuit is configured to inject a first final fault signal to an under-test device based on the fault signal and the plurality of control signals, in order to verify robustness of the under-test device.

Device and method for robustness verification

Provided is a monolithic stacked integrated circuit (IC). The IC includes a first layer over a substrate and a second layer over the first layer. The first layer includes first circuit elements where a first portion of the first circuit elements has a defect. The second layer includes second circuit elements. The IC further includes interconnect elements coupling the first portion to a second portion of the second circuit elements for mitigating the defect.

Monolithic stacked integrated circuits with a redundant layer for repairing defects

A method for diagnosing a defect is provided. A first candidate pair comprises a first defect candidate and a second defect candidate. A first pattern is generated to distinguish one or more faults of the first defect candidate from one or more faults of the second defect candidate. The first defect candidate is removed responsive to determining that the first pattern does not detect the first defect candidate and determining that an automatic test equipment (ATE) failure log associates the first pattern with failure. Removing the first candidate pair, as well as additional candidate pairs when possible, promotes diagnosis efficiency by reducing a number of computations required.

Defect diagnosis

The present disclosure relates to a diagnosis framework to shorten yield learning cycles of technology node manufacturing processes from the high defect density stage to technology maturity. A plurality of defect under test (DUT) structures are designed to capture potential manufacturing issues associated with defect formation. A test structure is formed by arranging the DUT structures within a DUT carrier unit, which has been yield-hardened though heuristic yield analysis such that a defect density of the DUT carrier unit is essentially zero. Possible outcomes of an application of test patterns and various failure scenarios associated with defects formed within the DUT structures within the DUT carrier unit are simulated and stored in a look-up table (LUT). The LUT may then be referenced to determine a location of a defect within the test structure without the need for iterative analysis to correctly select defect candidates for physical failure analysis (PFA).

Diagnosis framework to shorten yield learning cycles of advanced processes

Provided is a monolithic stacked integrated circuit (IC). The IC includes a first layer over a substrate and a second layer over the first layer. The first layer includes a first plurality of circuit elements where a first portion of the first plurality of circuit elements has defects. The second layer includes a second plurality of circuit elements. The IC further includes interconnect elements coupling the first portion to a second portion of the second plurality of circuit elements for mitigating the defects.

Repairing monolithic stacked integrated circuits with a redundant layer and lithography process

Methods and apparatus of performing floorplanning and routing for function blocks within a die and among multiple die are disclosed. Multiple die together with function blocks within each die may be represented by a flexible hierarchical (FH) tree. An initial floorplan for multiple die may be generated and hot spots between die or among function blocks within a die may be identified. Spacer blocks may be inserted between die, and block inflation may be performed, to remove hot spots. More perturbation of the block positions can be performed on the FH tree to rearrange the blocks and die. After the multiple die floorplanning, a plurality of micro bumps may be mapped to a plurality of pins of blocks of the plurality of die, placement and routing may be performed for the plurality of blocks within each die and connections for the plurality of dies.

Methods and apparatus for floorplanning and routing co-design

A device includes a first die coupled to an interconnect structure of an interposer. The first die includes a first BIST circuit configured to generate and output test signals to the interconnection structure of the interposer. A second die is coupled to the interconnect structure of the interposer and includes a second BIST circuit configured to receive signals from the interconnection structure of the interposer in response to the first BIST circuit transmitting the test signals. The second BIST circuit is configured to compare the signals received from the interconnection structure of the interposer to reference signals generated by the second BIST circuit.

Built-in self-test for interposer

The present disclosure relates to a method of routing probe pads to micro-bumps of an interposer. An interposer is provided having target micro-bumps and probe pads. The probe pads are initially unassigned. Target micro-bump locations and probe pad locations are obtained. Possible route assignments from the probe pads to the target micro-bumps are obtained. Costs are developed for the possible route assignments at least partially according to the target micro-bump locations and the probe pad locations. Final assignments are selected from the possible assignments according to the costs.

Method to determine optimal micro-bump-probe pad pairing for efficient PGD testing in interposer designs

Test points on an integrated circuit chip, especially points subject to IR voltage drop along power supply rails, are coupled to comparators controlled by an automatic test controller, all included on the chip. Each test point can have one or more comparators and one or more reference voltages over a testing range. A change of state at a comparator sets a latch that is read and reset by the on-chip automatic test controller during test intervals. The automatic test controller can coordinate with external automatic test equipment that applies stimulus signals to the chip during testing. The greatest voltage drop during a test interval is determined from the latched output of the switched comparator coupled to the lowest reference voltage. The setting and resetting of the latch can be gated through a selectable delay so as to discriminate for excursions that persist for a longer or shorter time.

Apparatus and method for on-chip sampling of dynamic IR voltage drop

An apparatus for clock skew compensation is provided. The apparatus includes a first delay locked loop (DLL) module disposed in a first die and a second DLL module disposed in a second die. A first input terminal of the first DLL module receives a reference clock. A first input terminal of the second DLL module is electrically connected to an output terminal of the first DLL module. An output terminal of the second DLL module is electrically connected to a second input terminal of the first DLL module.

Apparatus for clock skew compensation

The present invention relates to a jitter measuring system, comprising: a delay circuit for receiving a clock signal and delaying the clock signal to generate a delay signal; a jitter amplifier for receiving the clock signal and delay signal to generate a first signal and a second signal; and a converter for converting a phase different between the first signal and the second signal into a relevant digital code; wherein the phase difference between the first signal and the second signal is an amplification of jitter.

Jitter measuring system and method

Growing community of inventors

Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Ji-Jan Chen