Ultra low noise, PC-based measurement system for the characterization of the metallizations of integrated circuits

Low frequency noise measurements have been successfully used in research laboratories for the characterization of electromigration in interconnection lines of integrated circuits. In this paper an ultra-low noise system capable of performing such measurements contemporaneously on a statistically significant number of samples is described. The system, designed with the aim to make advantageous the utilization of the technique also in industrial environment, is controlled by a personal computer and makes available up to 255 independent input channels for noise measurements. A purposely designed ultra-low noise preamplifier and the use of an optical link between the PC and the low noise section, has allowed to obtain a total background noise which is some orders of magnitude lower than that of preexistent instrumentation.