Abstract
The semiconductor failure analyst’s tool box is a vast and resourceful set of capabilities that more than ever needs meaningful Memory Failure Signature Analysis (Memory FSA) as an important part of that suite. Today, this is driven by advanced process technology nodes that are producing virtually invisible defects to confound manufacturing and reliability. This demands greater attention to characterizing memory failures in order to theorize causes for failure and to implement suitable FA approaches and corrective action plans. Design Based FA (DBFA) techniques aim to extend this philosophy by focusing on a deep understanding of the chip’s Intellectual Property (IP), in terms of both content and architecture. It uses this knowledge to gain important insights into the behavior of the failure that otherwise may have been hidden or unobservable. This disciplined methodology leads to quicker closure for problems through implementing improved test screens, providing recommendations under a closed-loop Design for Manufacturing (DFM) system, enacting process enhancements, or some combination of all these areas. Here we present a clever technique to further aid in the failure signature analysis process and use it as an example for this Design Based FA methodology.
