National Semiconductor Corporation

William Ng

Kevin C Weaver

Zachary Joshua Gemmill

Steven Jacobson

Fayik Bundhoo

Usharani Bhimavarapu

Duc Huu Nguyen

In an analysis of a semiconductor device under test (DUT) using a Thermal Induced Voltage Alteration (TIVA) tool, the TIVA is connected to an output of the DUT and the DC component on the output is decoupled from the TIVA. The remaining AC component from the output is analyzed by the TIVA while scanning the DUT with a scanning laser to identify locations on the DUT that produce signal anomalies at the DUT output.

Method of locating failure site on semiconductor device under test

The time required to perform a passive voltage contrast test of an area of interest of a layer of interest is substantially reduced by digitizing a passive voltage contrast image to form contrast data that represents the image, and comparing the contrast data to computer aided design (CAD) data that defines the semiconductor device.

Method of reducing the time required to perform a passive voltage contrast test

Point-by-point image contrast values are generated from secondary electron collection during unbiased electron or ion beam bombardment of an integrated circuit (IC) in a vacuum environment to quantify the physical and electrical integrity of connections within the device. These values are stored for each type of circuit cell under standard conditions to quantify and check the performance of individual cells on the device.

E-beam voltage potential circuit performance library

The present invention is a process for measuring semiconductor device output capacitance and slew rate from switching-induced hot carrier luminescence. The process for determining the output capacitive loading of a semiconductor device includes measuring the peak switching-induced hot carrier luminescence and comparing it to previously correlated capacitance data. The process for determining the output slew rate of a semiconductor device by measuring the switching-induced hot carrier luminescence as a function of time, calculating a standard deviation of the luminescence data, and comparing it to previously correlated output slew rate data. The peak of a switching-induced hot carrier luminescence pulse directly relates to the driving capacitance and the standard deviation of a pulse relates to the rate of change of output voltage or slew rate.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

William Ng