Browsing by Author "Lee, Jih-Nung"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6

A Model-Based-Random-Forest Framework for Predicting V-t Mean and Variance Based on Parallel I-d Measurement
(2018-10-01)
Lin, Chien-Hsueh
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Tsai, Chih-Ying
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Lee, Kao-Chi
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Yu, Sung-Chu
;
Liau, Wen-Rong
To measure the variation of device V-t requires long test for conventional wafer acceptance test (WAT) test structures. This paper presents a framework that can efficiently and effectively obtain the mean and variance of V-t for a large number of designs under test (DUTs). The proposed framework applies the model-based random forest as its core model-fitting technique to learn a model that can predict the mean and variance of V-t based only on the combined I-d measured from parallel connected DUTs. The proposed framework can further minimize the total number of I-d measurement required for prediction models while limiting their accuracy loss. The experimental results based on the SPICE simulation of a UMC 28-nm technology demonstrate that the proposed model-fitting framework can achieve a more than 99% R -squared for predicting either V-t mean or V-t variance. Compared to conventional WAT test structures using binary search, our proposed framework can achieve a 120.3x speedup on overall test time for test structures with 800 DUTs.
Layout-Based Dual-Cell-Aware Tests
(2019-01-01)
Wu, Tse-Wei
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Lee, Dong-Zhen
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Wu, Kai-Chiang
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Huang, Yu-Hao
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Chen, Ying-Yen
Conventional fault models define their faulty behavior at the IO ports of standard cells with simple rules of fault activation and fault propagation. However, there still exist some defects inside a cell (intra-cell) or between two cells (dual-cell) that cannot be effectively detected by the test patterns of conventional fault models and hence become a source of DPPM. In order to further increase the defect coverage, many research works have been conducted to study the fault models resulting from different types of intra-cell and dual-cell defects, by SPICE-simulating each targeted defect with its equivalent circuit-level defect model. However, it was considered computationally infeasible to simulate every possible defective scenario for a cell library and obtain a complete set of cell-level fault models. In this paper, we present a new dual-cell-aware (DCA) framework based on examining the layout of two adjacent cells (i.e., a dual cell) to identify potential defects, where time-consuming RC extraction can be avoided and the runtime for SPICE simulation can be reduced. Experimental results and silicon data on a SoC product show that the proposed DCA framework can not only save runtime significantly but also maintain the promising efficacy of DCA tests for the objective of lowering DPPM.
Methodology of Generating Dual-Cell-Aware Tests
(2017-01-01)
Huang, Yu-Hao
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Lu, Ching-Ho
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Wu, Tse-Wei
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Nien, Yu-Teng
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Chen, Ying-Yen
This paper introduces a novel fault model, called the dual-cell-aware (DCA) fault model, which targets the short defects locating between two adjacent standard cells placed in the layout. A layout-based methodology is also presented to automatically extract valid DCA faults from targeted designs and cell libraries. The identified DCA faults are outputted in a format that can be applied to a commercial ATPG tool for test generation. The result of ATPG and fault simulation based on industrial designs have demonstrated that the DCA faults cannot be fully covered by the tests of conventional fault models including stuck-at, transition, bridge and cell-aware faults and hence require their own designated tests to detect.
Methodology of Generating Timing-Slack-Based Cell-Aware Tests
(2019-01-01)
Nien, Yu-Teng
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Wu, Kai-Chiang
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Lee, Dong-Zhen
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Chen, Ying-Yen
;
Chen, Po-Lin
In order to reduce DPPM (defect parts per million), cell-aware (CA) methodology was proposed to cover various types of intra-cell defects. The resulting CA faults can be a 1-time-frame (ltf) or 2-time-frame (2tf) fault, and 2tf CA tests were experimentally verified to be capable of catching a significant number of defective parts not covered by other conventional tests. In this paper, we present a novel methodology for generating 2tf CA tests based on timing slack analysis. The proposed 2tf CA fault model, aware of timing slack and named TS, defines a fault (i) on a cell instance basis, and (ii) based on per-instance timing criticality (according to timing slack). More explicitly, for each cell instance with a specific defect injected, we check its output capacitive load and derive the corresponding extra delay. By comparing the extra delay against timing slack of the cell instance, a delay fault can be defined, and according to its severity, the fault can be further classified into small-delay fault or gross-delay fault. In contrast to prior 2tf CA methodology that is on a cell (rather than cell instance) basis and unaware of timing criticality/slack, our methodology can identify "more realistic" faults which really need to be considered, and potentially the cost/effort for testing those 2tf CA faults can be reduced. Experimental results on a set of 28nm industrial designs demonstrate that, due to more realistic fault identification, the numbers of identified small-delay faults and corresponding test patterns to be applied can be reduced by 35.1% and 24.1% respectively, leading to 40.7% reduction in the runtime of ATPG.
Predicting V-t Mean and Variance from Parallel I-d Measurement with Model-Fitting Technique
(2016)
Tsai, Chih-Ying
;
Lee, Kao-Chi
;
Lin, Chien-Hsueh
;
Yu, Sung-Chu
;
Liau, Wen-Rong
To measure the variation of device V-t requires long test for conventional WAT test structures. This paper presents a framework that can efficiently and effectively obtain the mean and variance of V-t for a large number of DUTs. The proposed framework applies the model-based random forest as its core model-fitting technique to learn a model that can predict the mean and variance of V-t based on only the combined I-d measured from parallel connected DUTs. The experimental results based on the SPICE simulation of a UMC 28nm technology demonstrate that the proposed model-fitting framework can achieve a more than 99% R-squared for predicting both of V-t mean and variance. Compared to conventional WAT test structures using binary search, our proposed framework can achieve 42.9X speedup in turn of the required iterations of I-d measurement per DUT.
Predicting Vt Variation and Static IR Drop of Ring Oscillators Using Model-Fitting Techniques
(2017-01-01)
Huang, Tzu-Hsuan
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Hung, Wei-Tse
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Yang, Hao-Yu
;
Chang, Wen-Hsiang
;
Chen, Ying-Yen
This paper presents a statistical model-fitting framework to efficiently decompose the impact of device Vt variation and power-network IR drop from the measured ring-oscillator frequencies without adding any extra circuitry to the original ring oscillators. The framework applies Gaussian process regression as its core model-fitting technique and stepwise regression as a preprocess to select significant predictor features. The experiments conducted based on the SPICE simulation of an industrial 28nm technology demonstrate that our framework can simultaneously predict the NMOS Vt, PMOS Vt and static IR drop of the ring oscillators based on their frequencies measured at different external supply voltages. The final resulting R squares of the predicted features are all more than 99.93%.