Systematic Characterization of Integrated Circuit Standard Components as Stimulated by Scanning Laser Beam

Abstract

Laser stimulation (LS) has become a common technique of failure localization in integrated circuits (ICs). In optical-beam-induced resistivity change, thermally induced voltage alteration, Seebeck effect imaging, soft defect localization, etc., device modules with special passive and active device properties are the subject of stimulation effects. This paper investigates in detail the behavior and equivalent circuit models of most commonly used IC components, passives such as metal and polysilicon interconnect resistors and thermoelectric junctions, and actives like p-n diodes and field-effect transistors under illumination from both chip frontside and backside. The systematic characterization of the results improves the evaluation of LS analysis in failing circuits.