Dynamic thermal laser signal injection microscopy (T-LSIM) on AC propagation failures

Fault isolation of AC failures on semiconductor devices using dynamic T-LSIM (thermal laser signal injection microscopy) has proven itself capable of detecting elevated resistance from a single internal via. Design simulations varying the resistance at the via detected during dynamic phase delay T-LSIM analysis replicated the AC failure mode proving that subtle changes in via resistance can cause an AC propagation delay. The dynamic phase-delay T-LSIM technique can be applied to any digital or analog device for which a reference input signal and defective output signal is available. T-LSIM is able to identify and detect these subtle resistance changes quickly, allowing for quick fault isolation that other conventional failure analysis techniques are unable to match.