International Business Machines Corporation

Richard J St-Pierre

Kai D Feng

Fen Chen

Roger Aime Dufresne

A testing structure, system and method for monitoring electro-migration (EM) performance. A system is described that includes an array of testing structures, wherein each testing structure includes: an EM resistor having four point resistive measurement, wherein a first and second terminals provide current input and a third and fourth terminals provide a voltage measurement; a first transistor coupled to a first terminal of the EM resistor for supplying a test current; the voltage measurement obtained from a pair of switching transistors whose gates are controlled by a selection switch and whose drains are utilized to provide a voltage measurement across the third and fourth terminals. Also included is a decoder for selectively activating the selection switch for one of the array of testing structures; and a pair of outputs for outputting the voltage measurement of a selected testing structure.

Analyzing EM performance during IC manufacturing

An integrated circuit, testing structure, and method for monitoring electro-migration (EM) performance. A method is described that includes method for measuring on-chip electro-migration (EM) performance, including: providing a first on-chip sensor continuously powered with a stress current; providing a second on-chip sensor that is powered only during measurement cycles with a nominal current; obtaining a first resistance measurement from the first on-chip sensor and a second resistance measurement from the second on-chip sensor during each of a series of measurement cycles; and processing the first and second resistance measurements.

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Essex Junction, VT, United States of America

Richard J St-Pierre