Method and apparatus for measuring gate leakage current in an integrated circuit

Abstract

An integrated circuit ( ) includes a measurement circuit ( ) for determining if a transistor ( ) has normal gate leakage current or has a gate leakage current which is greater than normal. A transistor such as transistor ( ) may be in a condition known as quasi-breakdown which typically occurs in response to some electrical stress. The characteristic of quasi-breakdown is that there is a very significant increase in gate leakage current, the transistor continues to function as a transistor but perhaps with degraded performance, and the transistor will fail if it continues to receive the stresses that caused it to go into quasi-breakdown. Thus, the measurement circuit ( ), which is included on the integrated circuit ( ), provides an early warning that a transistor, a device under test ( ), is going to fail if the operating conditions remain the same.