Time resolved photon emission prober
Encyclopedia
The Time-Resolved Photon Emission Prober (TRPE) is an instrument which is used to measure timing waveforms on semiconductor devices. TRPE measurements are performed on the back side of the semiconductor device. The substrate of the device-under-test (DUT) must first be thinned mechanically. The device is mounted on a movable X-Y stage in an enclosure which shields it from all sources of light. The DUT is connected to an active electrical stimulus. The stimulus pattern is continuously looped and a trigger signal is sent to the TRPE instrument in order to tell it when the pattern repeats. The TRPE prober operates in a manner similar to a sampling oscilloscope, and is used to perform semiconductor failure analysis
.
and nMOS
transistors switch on or off, they emit photon
s. These photons emissions are recorded by a sensitive photon detector. By counting the number of photons emitted for a specific transistor across a period of time, a photon histogram
may be constructed. The photon histogram records an increase in photon emissions during times that the transistor switches on or off. By detecting the combined photon emissions of pairs p- and n-channel transistors contained in logic gates, it is possible to use the resulting histogram to determine the locations in time of the rising and falling edges of the signal at that node. The waveform produced is not representative of a true voltage waveform, but more accurately represents the derivative of the waveform, with photon spikes being seen only at rising or falling edges.
Failure analysis
Failure analysis is the process of collecting and analyzing data to determine the cause of a failure. It is an important discipline in many branches of manufacturing industry, such as the electronics industry, where it is a vital tool used in the development of new products and for the improvement...
.
Theory of operation
As the electrical stimulus pattern is repetitively applied to the DUT, internal transistors switch on and off. As pMOSMOSFET
The metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor is a transistor used for amplifying or switching electronic signals. The basic principle of this kind of transistor was first patented by Julius Edgar Lilienfeld in 1925...
and nMOS
MOSFET
The metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor is a transistor used for amplifying or switching electronic signals. The basic principle of this kind of transistor was first patented by Julius Edgar Lilienfeld in 1925...
transistors switch on or off, they emit photon
Photon
In physics, a photon is an elementary particle, the quantum of the electromagnetic interaction and the basic unit of light and all other forms of electromagnetic radiation. It is also the force carrier for the electromagnetic force...
s. These photons emissions are recorded by a sensitive photon detector. By counting the number of photons emitted for a specific transistor across a period of time, a photon histogram
Histogram
In statistics, a histogram is a graphical representation showing a visual impression of the distribution of data. It is an estimate of the probability distribution of a continuous variable and was first introduced by Karl Pearson...
may be constructed. The photon histogram records an increase in photon emissions during times that the transistor switches on or off. By detecting the combined photon emissions of pairs p- and n-channel transistors contained in logic gates, it is possible to use the resulting histogram to determine the locations in time of the rising and falling edges of the signal at that node. The waveform produced is not representative of a true voltage waveform, but more accurately represents the derivative of the waveform, with photon spikes being seen only at rising or falling edges.