Reduction of detected acceptable faults for yield improvement via error-tolerance

Tong Yu Hsieh, Kuen Jong Lee, Melvin A. Breuer

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

25 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Error-tolerance is an innovative way to enhance the effective yield of IC products. Previously a test methodology based on error-rate estimation to support error-tolerance was proposed. Without violating the system error-rate constraint specified by the user, this methodology identifies a set of faults that can be ignored during testing, thereby leading to a significant improvement in yield. However, usually the patterns detecting all of the unacceptable faults also detect a large number of acceptable faults, resulting in a degradation in achievable yield improvement. In this paper, we first provide a probabilistic analysis of this problem and show that a conventional ATPG procedure cannot adequately address this problem. We then present a novel test pattern selection procedure and an output masking technique to deal with this problem. The selection process generates a test set aimed to detect all unacceptable faults but as few acceptable faults as possible. The masking technique then examines the generated test patterns and identifies a list of output lines that can be masked (not observed) during testing so as to further avoid the detection of acceptable faults. Experimental results show that by employing the proposed techniques, only a small number of acceptable faults are still detected. In many cases the actual yield improvement approaches the optimal value that can be achieved.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings - 2007 Design, Automation and Test in Europe Conference and Exhibition, DATE 2007
Pages1599-1604
Number of pages6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2007
Event2007 Design, Automation and Test in Europe Conference and Exhibition - Nice Acropolis, France
Duration: 2007 Apr 162007 Apr 20

Publication series

NameProceedings -Design, Automation and Test in Europe, DATE
ISSN (Print)1530-1591

Other

Other2007 Design, Automation and Test in Europe Conference and Exhibition
Country/TerritoryFrance
CityNice Acropolis
Period07-04-1607-04-20

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Engineering

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