Search Results for ibm

Picosecond Imaging Circuit Analysis (PICA) is a new technique shown here to be applicable to the analysis of complex VLSI circuits. PICA was used to diagnose a timing failure in the early design of the G6 microprocessor chip. The fault occurred at high frequencies upon consecutive writes. Using PICA, combined with programmable array built-in self test (RAMBIST) techniques, the problem was traced to a race condition in the write control circuits. This allowed timely correction of the design for product implementation.

Listings of the EDFAS 2008-2009 Board of Directors, the ISTFA 2008 Organizing Committee Program and Activities Chairs, and other contributors and committee members.

Listings of the EDFAS 2009-2010 Board of Directors, the ISTFA 2009 Organizing Committee and Activities Chairs, and other contributors and committee members.

Listings of the EDFAS 2006-2007 Board of Directors, the ISTFA 2006 Organizing Committee Program Chairs, and other contributors and committee members.

Listings of the EDFAS 2005-2006 Board of Directors, the ISTFA 2005 Organizing Committee Program Chairs, and other contributors and committee members.

Listings of the EDFAS 2013-2014 Board of Directors, the ISTFA 2013 Organizing Committee and Activities Chairs, and other contributors and committee members.

This paper presents Electrical Failure Analysis (EFA) and Physical Failure Analysis (PFA) on a random time zero (t0) gate oxide defect within an IBM processor manufactured with a 14nm SOI (Silicon On Insulator) FinFET technology. The natures of the Functional Fail, the gate oxide defect, and the transistor characteristics are included. The impact of this gate oxide defect to product yield and performance, plus the extent to which it extends across the product chip, which includes passing circuits, is covered. Since chips, which may contain this defect, could be present within the entire product lifecycle, the reliability aspects of the defect at the transistor level were investigated. Among the various reliability stresses available for transistors, Constant Voltage Stress (CVS) Bias Temperature Instability (BTI) was chosen. CVS BTI stressing was able to be performed on both the NFETs and PFETs within the Inverter of the failing circuit, plus other identical reference circuits. The BTI stress nanoprobing is covered. This includes an overview of BTI stressing, confirming the nanoprobing system and electrical stress/test programs are adequate for BTI stressing, BTI stress methodologies for Inverters, plus the BTI stress results. The transistor level BTI stress results are discussed and compared to other published BTI literature. Finally, the reliability aspects of this gate oxide defect are discussed.

There are several variants of artificial intelligence (AI) hardware structures that are under study by the semiconductor industry for potential use in complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) designs. This paper discusses some of the failure analysis challenges that have appeared in discrete test structures and test arrays developed as part of an exploratory phase-change memory (PCM) program at IBM's Albany AI Hardware Research Center.

In this work, we investigate mushroom type phase-change material (PCM) memory cells based on Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 . We use low-angle annular dark field (LAADF) STEM imaging and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) to study changes in microstructure and elemental distributions in the PCM cells before and after SET and RESET conditions. We describe the microscope settings required to reveal the amorphous dome in the RESET state and present an application example involving the failure analysis of a PCM test array made with devices fabricated at IBM’s Albany AI Hardware Research Center.

In this paper we evaluate the possibility of extending Time Resolved Emission (TRE) technology towards future low voltage SOI technologies. In particular, we investigate and quantify the gain offered by the InGaAs detector improvements devised by Credence Corp., now DCG Systems, the manufacturer of the Emiscope III PICA system used in this analysis. Experiments on a test chip fabricated in the IBM SOI 65 nm technology will demonstrate that the improved tool guarantees the same Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) even at ~90 mV lower supply voltages. In the second part of the paper we also discuss various other acquisition optimizations of the system. Although the analysis presented here refers to a specific tool, the large majority of the results and discussions can easily be generalized and applied to other PICA systems and detectors, as well as low voltage bulk silicon technologies.

Tailoring the angular spectrum with annular illumination and collection can significantly improve integrated circuit analysis with an optical microscope, when combined with solid immersion. We present the development, testing, and optimization of a simple and compact apparatus to implement annular illumination and collection in a Hamamatsu iPHEMOS system. We demonstrated improved imaging of an IBM 45nm silicon-oninsulator circuit, with annular illumination and collection in confocal scanning optical microscopy and widefield microscopy with an InGaAs camera.

In this paper we examine the use of the Superconducting Single-Photon Detector (SSPD) [1] for extracting electrical waveforms on an IBM microprocessor fabricated in a 0.13µm technology with 1.2V nominal supply voltage. Although the detector used in our experiments is prototype version of the one discussed in [1] demonstrating lower performance, we will show that it provides a significant reduction in acquisition time for the collection of optical waveforms, thus maintaining the usability of the PICA technique for present and future low voltage technologies.

This paper describes the analysis of a Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) internal phase detection circuit built in IBM’s 0.13 µm Silicon On Insulator (SOI) CMOS technology by using the Picosecond Imaging Circuit Analysis (PICA) [1,2] tool equipped with the high quantum efficiency Superconducting Single-Photon Detector (SSPD) [3,4]. Signals corresponding to the internal nodes of the PLL are for the first time measured and compared to circuit simulations in order to characterize the behavior of the different components of the circuit.

For most advanced semiconductor products, the preferred methodology for achieving Focused Ion Beam (FIB) circuit modification and node access is through the backside of the chip. The high density of interconnect wiring and the presence of C4 solder bumping has made complex edits virtually impossible with conventional frontside techniques. IBM has developed a set of procedures for performing backside edit on circuits built using the Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) process. While the basic approach and techniques parallel many of the established practices developed for handling transistors built in conventional bulk silicon, there are a number of key and critical differences. In this paper, we will address the basic instruction set developed for successful FIB work on SOI product. This will include backside silicon surface preparation, charge control, endpointing during high volume silicon removal, global and local coordinate lock techniques, floor voltage contrast phenomena, floor preparation and preservation, fill pattern issues and advantages, and finally the target structure alignment, access, connection and/or removal. Post process bake and handling will also be discussed.

In this paper we present the advanced optical testing of an array fabricated in IBM’s 65 nm SOI CMOS technology, using the Picosecond Imaging Circuit Analysis (PICA) [1-11] tool equipped with the Superconducting Single-Photon Detector (SSPD) [12,13]. Based on the results of the optical analysis we were able to confirm a time collision problem in the readout circuit of the array. In the following sections we will also discuss the use of an innovative optical packaging for testing chips requiring wire-bonding, along with record low voltage optical measurements, down to 0.7 V.

This paper shows that in-line voltage contrast inspection can be used to monitor and debug mechanisms causing via and contact opens using ungrounded chain test structures. This opens up a large number of new opportunities to the benefits of in-line VC inspection. A theory explaining the VC appearance of a broken chain is proposed and experimentally verified. The methodology used at IBM’s 300mm fab to apply this phenomenon is described along with some use cases.

The finite, non-zero resistance of the metal wires that define the power grid of chips require the insertion of multiple ports between the grid and the external power supply in order to meet voltage stability requirements across the 2-D plane of the chip. The ports connect to the power grid along its edges for peripheral pad configurations, while, for C4 or array pad configurations, the ports are distributed across the 2-D surface of the chip. In either case, the availability of multiple power ports can be leveraged for detecting and localizing defects and/or Trojan circuits. A localization technique is investigated in this paper that analyzes anomalies introduced by defects and/or Trojans in the measured IDDQs from these ports. The localization accuracy of the technique can be improved significantly through the use of calibration and additional information collected from simulation experiments. The method and model are validated using data collected from a set of chips fabricated in an IBM 65 nm SOI process.1

In this paper, we evaluate a novel, position-sensitive, singlephoton detector with enhanced Near InfraRed (NIR) sensitivity [1-3] for taking 2D Time Resolved Emission (TRE), also known as Picosecond Imaging for Circuit Analysis (PICA), in future low voltage SOI technologies. In particular, we will investigate and quantify the sensitivity of two generations (Gen. I and Gen. II) of PICA cameras by Hamamatsu Photonics as a function of the power supply voltage on an IBM 45 nm SOI test chip. Additionally, we will compare the results to the performance obtained with an InGaAs Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) from DCG Systems [4]. Finally we will show a case study and an advanced analysis and localization technique that takes advantage of the 2D capability of the camera.

For most advanced semiconductor products, Focused Ion Beam (FIB) circuit modification and node access through the backside of the chip is the only viable approach. The high density of interconnect wiring and the presence of C4 solder bumping for chip to module attachment has made complex edits virtually impossible with long standing conventional frontside techniques. Unfortunately, the presence of buried circuit elements on the very latest designs greatly complicates the backside editing formula. The introduction of deep trench capacitors as a distributed circuit element in logic designs has had a profound impact on the established methods of backside FIB chip editing. In many cases wide area preparatory trenching down to the underside of circuitry cannot be done without damage to structures that penetrate the silicon adjacent to active transistors by as much as 10 microns. The decision whether to remove these devices or attempt to work around them requires an analysis of the impact on circuit performance and an assessment of the working space (control of anisotropy of etch, aspect ratio issues, etc.) available for executing the edit. IBM is in the process of developing a new set of procedures for performing FIB backside edits on circuits that incorporate these buried structures.

A 300mm wafer atomic force prober (AFP) has been installed into IBM’s manufacturing line to enable rapid, nondestructive electrical identification of defects. Prior to this tool many of these defects could not detected until weeks or months later. Moving failure analysis to the FAB provides a means of complementing existing FAB inspection and defect review tools as well as providing independent, non-destructive electrical measurements at an early point in the manufacturing cycle [1] Once the wafer sites are non destructively AFP characterized, the wafer is returned to its front opening unified pod (FOUP) carrier and may be reintroduced into the manufacturing line without disruption for further inspection or processing. Whole wafer atomic force probe electrical characterization has been applied to 32nm, 28nm, 20nm and 14nm node technologies. In this paper we explore the cost benefits of performing non-destructive AFP measurements on whole wafers. We have found the methodology of employing a whole wafer AFP tool complements existing in-line manufacturing monitoring tools such as brightfield/dark field optical inspection, SEM in-line inspection and in-line E-beam voltage contrast inspection (EBI).