This work presents a new photon emission microscopy camera prototype for the acquisition of intrinsic light emitted from VLSI circuits during their normal operation. This novel camera was designed to be sensitive to longer wavelengths in order to maximize the signal intensities from modern VLSI chips which are characterized by a red shift in the intrinsic emission spectrum. In this paper, we will characterize the performance of the camera using 32 nm and 22 nm SOI chips. The novel camera is able to collect emission images with the circuit under test operating at a supply voltage down to 0.5 V, exceeding the performance of a state-of-the-art InGaAs camera.

By adding a transmission grating into the optical path of our photon emission system and after calibration, we have completed several failure analysis case studies. In some cases, additional information on the emission sites is provided, as well as understanding of the behavior of transistors that are associated to the fail site. The main application of the setup is used for finding and differentiating easily related emission spots without advance knowledge in light emission mechanisms in integrated circuits.

In this paper, near-infrared photon emission spectroscopy measurements from ring oscillators in 45 nm and 32 nm SOI process technology are compared. Employing a cryogenically cooled camera, the measurements cover a broad spectral range from 1200-2200 nm. Both leakage and switching emission, increase monotonically with the wavelength, suggesting measurements should be made at longer wavelengths than has historically been practiced. The paper discusses the optimum cut-off wavelength for maximum signal-to-noise ratio and the obvious importance of reduced ambient temperature for performing measurements.

This paper demonstrates the use of a real time lock-in thermography (LIT) system to non-destructively characterize thermal events prior to the failing of an integrated circuit (IC) device. A case study using a packaged IC mounted on printed circuit board (PCB) is presented. The result validated the failing model by observing the thermal signature on the package. Subsequent analysis from the backside of the IC identified a hot spot in internal circuitry sensitive to varying value of external discrete component (inductor) on PCB.

Yield enhancement has always been an important topic but even more when processes are moving towards smaller geometries. Today, latest FA flow intends to check wafer quality to monitor production in real-time. The purpose is to adjust any derivation coming from the process as fast as possible. The Atmel-CIMPACA laboratory located in Rousset, France, can do Failure Analysis on wafer, thanks to its wafer prober designed to work on DCG systems equipment and integrated CAD software (Meridian, Emiscope, NEXS software suite). Wafer level yield analysis typically requires long setup and multiple dies analysis. Each of the die can be studied with a set a failure analysis (FA) techniques (photo or thermal) emission microscopy [1], laser stimulation techniques [2] or even dynamic probing using time resolved emission [3],[4] or laser based techniques, for the most common ones [5].

We investigated and demonstrated the advantages and limitations of several optical methodologies as valuable silicon failure analysis techniques, and how they could be used in a complementary manner to assist in shortening the diagnostic time.

Time-resolved photon emission (TRPE) results, obtained using a new superconducting, single-photon detector (SSPD) are reported. Detection efficiency (DE) for large area detectors has recently been improved by >100x without affecting SSPDs inherently low jitter (≈30 ps) and low dark-count rate (<30 s-1). TRPE measurements taken from a 0.13 μm geometry CMOS IC are presented. A single laser, time-differential probing scheme that is being investigated for next-generation laser voltage probing (LVP) is also discussed. This new scheme is designed to have shot-noise-limited performance, allowing signals as small as 100 parts-per-million (ppm) to be reliably measured.