AUTOMATED RADIATION/RELIABILITY VLSI QUALIFICATION

THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN AUTOMATED TEST METHOD TO EXTRACT CMOS VLSI CIRCUIT PARAMETERS TO ASSESS HOT-ELECTRON RELIABILITY AND RADIATION HARDNESS IS PROPOSED. THE INSTRUMENT, COMBINED WITH STANDARDIZED TEST CHIPS, WOULD BE UNIQUELY SUITED FOR QUALIFICATION OF LOW-VOLUME ASIC CIRCUITS FOR SPACEBOURNE APPLICATIONS. THE PROPOSED CONCEPTINCLUDES THE DEVELOPMENT OF AUTOMATED TRANSFER OF TEST DEVICES BETWEEN X-RAY IRRADIATION, TIME/TEMPERATURE ANNEALING AND ELECTRICAL TESTING STATIONS UNDER ELECTRICAL BIAS. IN ADDITION, THE PROGRAM WILL ADDRESS THE TESTING THROUGHPUT NEEDED TO ACHIEVE A LOW-COST QUALIFICATION PROCESS.