Abstract: Operating speeds of integrated circuit devices are tested to establish maximum and minimum frequency at maximum and minimum voltage. The devices are sorted into relatively-slow and relatively-fast devices to classify the devices into different voltage bins. A bin-specific voltage limit is established for each of the voltage bins needed for core performance at system use conditions. The bin-specific voltage limit is compared to core minimum chip-level functionality voltage at system maximum and minimum frequency specifications. The method correlates system design evaluation of design maximum and minimum frequency at design maximum and minimum voltage conditions with evaluation of tested maximum and minimum frequency at tested maximum and minimum voltage conditions. A chip-specific functionality voltage limit is established for the device.

Abstract: Methods and systems for qualifying a single cell with product path delay analysis are provided. A method includes designing a product using a model from an initial test site. The method also includes creating performance path tests for one or more paths on the product. The method further includes measuring performance path parameters of the product. The method includes determining that the measured performance path parameters match predicted performance path parameters.

Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments of a method, system and computer program product for optimizing integrated circuit product yield by re-centering the manufacturing line and, optionally, adjusting wafer-level chip dispositioning rules based on the results of post-manufacture (e.g., wafer-level or module-level) performance path testing. In the embodiments, a correlation is made between in-line parameter measurements and performance measurements acquired during the post-manufacture performance path testing. Then, based on this correlation, the manufacturing line can be re-centered. Optionally, an additional correlation is made between performance measurements acquired during wafer-level performance testing and performance measurements acquired particularly during module-level performance path testing and, based on this additional correlation, adjustments can be made to the wafer-level chip dispositioning rules to further minimize yield loss.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention provide for reducing power consumption during manufacturing testing of an IC. In one embodiment, aspects of the invention include a method for reducing power consumption during a manufacturing test of an integrated circuit (IC), the method including: providing a plurality of domains, each domain associated with a clock phase; grouping, based on each domain, a first plurality of scan chains into a first test group; grouping, based on each domain, a second plurality of scan chains into a second test group, wherein the grouping of the first test group and of the second test group includes determining which domains can be tested simultaneously; and performing the manufacturing test of the IC.

Abstract: Methods and systems for qualifying a single cell with product path delay analysis are provided. A method includes designing a product using a model from an initial test site. The method also includes creating performance path tests for one or more paths on the product. The method further includes measuring performance path parameters of the product. The method includes determining that the measured performance path parameters match predicted performance path parameters.

Abstract: Methods and systems for qualifying a single cell with product path delay analysis are provided. A method includes designing a product using a model from an initial test site. The method also includes creating performance path tests for one or more paths on the product. The method further includes measuring performance path parameters of the product. The method includes determining that the measured performance path parameters match predicted performance path parameters.

Abstract: A method and system is provided for automatically generating valid at speed structural test (ASST) test groups. The method includes loading a netlist for an integrated circuit into a processor. The method further includes determining a plurality of clock domain crossings between a plurality of clock domains within the integrated circuit. The method further includes generating a first test group. The method further includes adding a first clock domain of the plurality of clock domains to the first test group. The method further includes adding a second clock domain of the plurality of clock domains to the first test group when the second clock domain does not have a clock domain crossing into the first clock domain.

Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments of a method, system and computer program product for optimizing integrated circuit product yield by re-centering the manufacturing line and, optionally, adjusting wafer-level chip dispositioning rules based on the results of post-manufacture (e.g., wafer-level or module-level) performance path testing. In the embodiments, a correlation is made between in-line parameter measurements and performance measurements acquired during the post-manufacture performance path testing. Then, based on this correlation, the manufacturing line can be re-centered. Optionally, an additional correlation is made between performance measurements acquired during wafer-level performance testing and performance measurements acquired particularly during module-level performance path testing and, based on this additional correlation, adjustments can be made to the wafer-level chip dispositioning rules to further minimize yield loss.

Abstract: Operating speeds of integrated circuit devices are tested to establish maximum and minimum frequency at maximum and minimum voltage. The devices are sorted into relatively-slow and relatively-fast devices to classify the devices into different voltage bins. A bin-specific voltage limit is established for each of the voltage bins needed for core performance at system use conditions. The bin-specific voltage limit is compared to core minimum chip-level functionality voltage at system maximum and minimum frequency specifications. The method correlates system design evaluation of design maximum and minimum frequency at design maximum and minimum voltage conditions with evaluation of tested maximum and minimum frequency at tested maximum and minimum voltage conditions. A chip-specific functionality voltage limit is established for the device.

Abstract: A method of test path selection and test program generation for performance testing integrated circuits. The method includes identifying clock domains having multiple data paths of an integrated circuit design having multiple clock domains; selecting, from the data paths, critical paths for each clock domain of the multiple clock domains; using a computer, for each clock domain of the multiple clock domain, selecting the sensitizable paths of the critical paths; for each clock domain of the multiple clock domain, selecting test paths from the sensitizable critical paths; and using a computer, creating a test program to performance test the test paths.

Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments of a method, system and computer program for optimizing system yield based on the results of post-manufacture integrated circuit (IC) chip performance path testing. In these embodiments, a correlation is made between IC chip performance measurements, which were acquired from IC chips specifically during post-manufacture (i.e., wafer-level or module-level) performance path testing, and system performance measurements, which were acquired from systems that incorporate those IC chips previously subjected to performance path testing. Based on this correlation and a target system performance value, a post-manufacture (i.e., wafer-level or module-level) chip dispositioning rule can be adjusted to optimize system yield (i.e., to ensure that subsequently manufactured systems which incorporate the IC chip meet the target system performance value).

Abstract: A method of grouping clock domains includes: separating a plurality of test clocks into a plurality of domain groups by adding to each respective one of the plurality of domain groups those test clocks that originate from a same clock source and have a unique clock divider ratio; sorting the domain groups in decreasing order of size; and creating a plurality of parts by adding the respective one of the plurality of domain groups to a first one of the plurality of parts in which already present test clocks have a different clock source, and creating a new part and adding the respective one of the plurality of domain groups to the new part when test clocks present in the respective one of the plurality of domain groups originate from a respective same clock source and have a different clock divider ratio as test clocks present in all previously-created parts.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention provide for reducing power consumption during manufacturing testing of an IC. In one embodiment, aspects of the invention include a method for reducing power consumption during a manufacturing test of an integrated circuit (IC), the method including: providing a plurality of domains, each domain associated with a clock phase; grouping, based on each domain, a first plurality of scan chains into a first test group; grouping, based on each domain, a second plurality of scan chains into a second test group, wherein the grouping of the first test group and of the second test group includes determining which domains can be tested simultaneously; and performing the manufacturing test of the IC.

Abstract: A method and system for dispositioning integrated circuit chips. The method includes performing a performance path test on an integrated circuit chip having one or more clock domains, the performance path test based on applying test patterns to selected sensitizable data paths of the integrated circuit chip at different clock frequencies; and dispositioning the integrated circuit chip based on results of the performance path test.

Abstract: A method of test path selection and test program generation for performance testing integrated circuits.

Abstract: A method and system for dispositioning integrated circuit chips. The method includes performing a performance path test on an integrated circuit chip having one or more clock domains, the performance path test based on applying test patterns to selected sensitizable data paths of the integrated circuit chip at different clock frequencies; and dispositioning the integrated circuit chip based on results of the performance path test.

Abstract: A method and system is provided for automatically generating valid at speed structural test (ASST) test groups. The method includes loading a netlist for an integrated circuit into a processor. The method further includes determining a plurality of clock domain crossings between a plurality of clock domains within the integrated circuit. The method further includes generating a first test group. The method further includes adding a first clock domain of the plurality of clock domains to the first test group. The method further includes adding a second clock domain of the plurality of clock domains to the first test group when the second clock domain does not have a clock domain crossing into the first clock domain.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting hold path faults in an integrated circuit is provided in exemplary embodiments. These exemplary embodiments introduce a method of identifying data paths within an integrated circuit with statistically the highest timing slack among the data paths within the integrated circuit that cover the entire process space of the circuit. By identifying these paths (i.e., shortest data paths), a robust test pattern can be generated that directly tests for hold path faults on short data paths within the integrated circuit using one functional clock pulse.

Abstract: A circuit for providing a local scan enable signal includes a first transistor having a first gate coupled to a general scan enable signal, a first source and a first drain and a second transistor having a second gate coupled to a scan clock, a second source coupled to the first drain and a second drain. The circuit also includes a third transistor having a third gate coupled to the general scan enable signal, a third drain coupled to the second drain and a third source and an output stabilizer coupled to the second drain, the output stabilizer including a first inverter and a second inverter coupled together in opposite orientations.

Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments of a system and method for automatically selecting and generating test patterns for an at-speed structural test of an integrated circuit device. Specifically, a test pattern generation pass is started and proceeds until the “knee” of the simulated test coverage curve is observed. Next, the test patterns are optionally reordered and some are removed. Then, another test pattern generation pass is started. The process is repeated iteratively until some predetermined final stopping criterion is met. By performing multiple test pattern generation passes and reducing the number of available test patterns that can be generated with each pass, the method exploits the initial increase in the test coverage curve inherent in each pass and limits the overall test pattern count.