Abstract: The invention provides a fingered decoupling capacitor in the bulk silicon region that are formed by etching a series of minimum or sub-minimum trenches in the bulk silicon region, oxidizing these trenches, removing the oxide from at least one or more disjoint trenches, filling all the trenches with either in-situ doped polysilicon, intrinsic polysilicon that is later doped through ion implantation, or filling with a metal stud, such as tungsten and forming standard interconnects to the capacitor plates.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for autonomously self-monitoring and self-adjusting the operation of an integrated circuit device throughout the integrated circuit device's useful life. The invention periodically performs performance self-testing on the integrated circuit device throughout the integrated circuit devices useful life. The invention also evaluates whether results from the self-testing are within acceptable limits and self-adjusts parameters of the integrated circuit device until the results from the self-testing are within the acceptable limits.

Abstract: A method for creating defect array paretos for semiconductor manufacturing, the method includes: merging a set of ETPLY data {the electrical overlay of bitfail map (BFM) data with inline photo inspection (PLY) data), and auto pattern recognition code (APRC) failure data to create an electrical failure data set along with a set of inline photo inspection defects that caused electrical failures; merging the APRC failure data with wafer final test (WFT) sort data to delineate array failures that are repairable from array failures that are not repairable for the calculation of kill ratios; wherein the merging of the APRC failure data with the WFT sort data is used to create paretos of APRC codes that are array failures that are not repairable; and wherein the merging of the APRC failure data with the WFT sort data is used to create paretos of APRC codes for semiconductor devices that are repairable at wafer final test.

Abstract: A thermal monitor diode is provided that comprises a silicon thin film on an insulator mounted on a silicon substrate. An opening extends through the silicon thin film and through the insulator and partially into the silicon substrate and terminates at an end wall. A conductive material is disposed in the opening and extends to the end wall. The substrate has a P/N junction formed therein adjacent the end wall, and an insulating spacer material surrounds the conductive material and is sufficiently thin to allow temperature excursions in the silicon thin film to pass therethrough. The invention also contemplates a method of forming the diode.

Abstract: The invention provides a fingered decoupling capacitor in the bulk silicon region that are formed by etching a series of minimum or sub-minimum trenches in the bulk silicon region, oxidizing these trenches, removing the oxide from at least one or more disjoint trenches, filling all the trenches with either in-situ doped polysilicon, intrinsic polysilicon that is later doped through ion implantation, or filling with a metal stud, such as tungsten and forming standard interconnects to the capacitor plates.

Abstract: A design and burn-in technique that effectively reduces power consumption during burn-in for devices with high power consumption as a result of shrinking voltages, high instantaneous current, subthreshold leakage and high currents at stress conditions. Three methods of reducing power consumption during burn-in are disclosed in detail: (1) completely separate power grids, (2) isolated grids during burn-in, and (3) isolated grids for MTCMOS used during burn-in. Each technique provides a method of segmenting the power supply of a chip and controlling which segment of the chip is stressed based on which segment is ‘powered on’. Those segments not being stressed are ‘shutoff’ so as to reduce power consumption.