Differential Laser Voltage Probe: A New Approach to a Fundamental Technique

Monday, October 31, 2022: 10:45 AM
Ballroom D (Pasadena Convention Center)
Mr. Kristofor Dickson , NXP Semiconductors, Austin, TX
Mr. George Lange , NXP Semiconductors, Austin, TX
Dr. Keith Serrels , NXP Semiconductors, Austin, TX
Mr. Jose Z. Garcia , NXP Semiconductors, Austin, TX
Mr. Kent Erington , NXP Semiconductors, Austin, TX
Mr. Dan Bodoh , NXP Semiconductors, Austin, TX
Mr. Kee Yang , Checkpoint Technologies, San Jose, CA
Mr. Jianxun Mou , Checkpoint Technologies, San Jose, CA

Summary:

For marginal devices that exhibit a pass/fail boundary in their shmoo plot, we demonstrate how separate pass and fail LVP waveforms can be collected simultaneously and compared to immediately identify whether logic within the laser spot exhibits corruption. The technique guarantees collection of equivalent pass vs. fail data independent of stage and focus drift, temperature modulation or any physical limitations of the probe system. For logic debug analysis, by comparing simultaneously collected pass vs. fail waveforms, the effects of optoelectronic crosstalk are completely eliminated, even when probing the smallest most challenging devices. Implementing dLVP into existing tools will extend their effective lifetimes and improve their efficacy related to the demands posed by the debug of 5nm and smaller geometries.