Wear-out monitor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10365322-B2
Application number	US-201715490584-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2017
Priority date	Apr 19, 2016
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

The disclosed technology generally relates to integrated circuit devices with wear out monitoring capability. An integrated circuit device includes a wear-out monitor device configured to record an indication of wear-out of a core circuit separated from the wear-out monitor device, wherein the indication is associated with localized diffusion of a diffusant within the wear-out monitor device in response to a wear-out stress that causes the wear-out of the core circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An integrated circuit device comprising a wear-out monitor device configured to record an indication of wear-out of a core circuit separated from the wear-out monitor device, the wear-out monitor device comprising a reservoir and a diffusion region, wherein the indication is associated with localized diffusion of a diffusant from the reservoir into the diffusion region in response to a wear-out stress that causes the wear-out of the core circuit.

2. The integrated circuit device of claim 1 , wherein the reservoir is formed at a surface of a substrate, wherein the reservoir serves as a first electrode of the wear-out monitor device, and wherein the wear-out monitor device further comprises a second electrode formed at the surface and formed of a material different from the reservoir.

3. The integrated circuit device of claim 1 , wherein the diffusant has a diffusion activation energy between 0.75 eV and 2.5 eV.

4. The integrated circuit device of claim 1 , wherein the diffusant includes one or more elements selected from the group consisting of aluminum (Al), cobalt (Co), platinum (Pt), sulfur (S), nickel (Ni), silver (Ag), zinc (Zn), gold (Au), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), sodium (Na), and potassium (K).

5. The integrated circuit device of claim 1 , further comprising a sensing circuit electrically connected to the wear-out monitor device and configured to detect an electrical property that changes in response to the localized diffusion of the diffusant.

6. The integrated circuit device of claim 1 , further comprising a control circuit configured to apply a stimulus to activate the wear-out monitor prior to recording the indication of wear-out.

7. The integrated circuit device of claim 6 , further comprising a physical barrier having an energy barrier for diffusion of the diffusant disposed between the reservoir and the diffusion region, wherein the physical barrier is configured such that the energy barrier is reduced in response to the stimulus to activate the wear-out monitor device.

8. The integrated circuit device of claim 1 , wherein the wear-out monitor device comprises a plurality of monitor structures each configured to record an indication of wear-out of the core circuit.

9. The integrated circuit device of claim 8 , wherein different ones of the monitor structures are configured to be activated by different stimuli prior to recording indications of wear-out of the core circuit.

10. The integrated circuit device of claim 1 , wherein atoms of a substrate serve as the diffusant, such that the wear-out stress causes atoms of the substrate to diffuse from the substrate into a diffusion region in response to the wear-out stress.

11. The integrated circuit device of claim 1 , wherein the wear-out monitor device is configured to apply an electric field to a diffusion region in a first direction, and wherein the diffusant has a charge state when diffused in the diffusion region such that, when the electric field is applied to the diffusion region having the diffusant diffused therein, the electric field causes the diffusant to further diffuse in the diffusion region in the first direction.

12. The integrated circuit device of claim 11 , wherein the diffusion region and the reservoir are adjacently disposed in a second direction different than the first direction and configured such that the wear-out stress causes the diffusant to diffuse in the second direction.

13. The integrated circuit device of claim 12 , wherein a plurality of conductive structures are formed on a surface of the diffusion region along the first direction and provide electrical access to the diffusion region at a plurality of locations.

14. The integrated circuit device of claim 1 , wherein the wear-out monitor device is configured such that the wear-out stress causes the diffusant to diffuse away from the reservoir and into the diffusion region, wherein the diffusant has a charge state when diffused into the diffusion region, and wherein the wear-out monitor device is further configured to apply an electric field to the diffusion region such that, when the electric field is applied to the diffusion region having the diffusant diffused therein, the electric field causes the diffusant to diffuse toward the reservoir.

15. The integrated circuit device of claim 14 , wherein the wear-out monitor device is configured to apply the electric field having a magnitude such that, when the electric field is applied to the diffusion region having the diffusant diffused therein, the electric field causes the diffusant to diffuse in a direction of increasing concentration gradient.

16. The integrated circuit device of claim 1 , wherein the wear-out monitor device comprises a PN junction, and wherein the reservoir contacts one of a p-doped region or an n-doped region of the PN junction.

17. The integrated circuit device of claim 16 , wherein the reservoir serves as an electrical contact for the one of the p-doped region or the n-doped region of the PN junction.

18. A method of monitoring wear-out of a core circuit of an integrated circuit device using a wear-out monitor device separated from the core circuit, the wear-out monitor device comprising a reservoir and a diffusion region, the method comprising:
recording an indication of wear-out of the core circuit, wherein the indication is associated with localized diffusion of a diffusant from the reservoir into the diffusion region within the wear-out monitor device in response to a wear-out stress that causes the wear-out of the core circuit;
detecting a property that changes in response to the localized diffusion of the diffusant; and
reporting the property of the wear-out monitor device.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising, prior to the recording, activating the wear-out monitor device by applying a stimulus to overcome an energy barrier.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising applying an electric field to a diffusion region having the diffusant diffused therein to change a direction of diffusion of the diffusant in the diffusion region.

21. The method of claim 18 , further comprising, prior to recording, subjecting the wear-out monitor device to the wear-out stress that causes the localized diffusion of the diffusant from the reservoir into the diffusion region.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising, prior to subjecting the wear-out monitor device to the wear-out stress, activating the monitor device by applying a stimulus to overcome an energy barrier.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein applying the stimulus alters a physical barrier having the energy barrier and reduces the energy barrier.

24. The method of claim 21 , further comprising, after subjecting the wear-out monitor device to the wear-out stress, applying an electric field to the diffusion region having the diffusant diffused therein in a first direction such that the electric field causes the diffusant to further diffuse in the first direction.

25. The method of claim 21 , further comprising, after subjecting the wear-out monitor device to the wear-out stress which causes the diffusant to diffuse away from the reservoir and into the diffusion region, applying an electric field to the diffusion region having the diffusant diffused therein, such that the electric field causes the diffusant to diffuse toward the reservoir.

26. An integrated circuit device with wear-out monitoring o

Assignees

• Analog Devices Global

Inventors

• Coyne Edward John
• O'Donnell Alan J
• Bradley Shaun
• Aherne David
• Boland David
• O'Dwyer Thomas G
• Heffernan Colm Patrick
• Manning Kevin B
• Forde Mark
• Clarke David J
• Looby Michael A

Classifications

• G01R31/2874

  related to temperature · CPC title

• G01R31/2879 Primary

  related to electrical aspects, e.g. to voltage or current supply or stimuli or to electrical loads · CPC title

• G01N27/041

  of a solid body · CPC title