An experimental measurement technique of interconnection RC delay for integrated circuits using the step voltage response

A new measurement technique for RC delay on distributed RC interconnection lines is presented using step voltage excitation. A circuit for RC delay measurement, called CIRCDEM, is proposed. This circuit can provide the RC product measurement of interconnection lines and the RC time delay to switch a gate connected to the end of the line. The interconnection resistance and the parallel-plate capacitance were also obtained by means of measurements on a cross-bridge sheet-resistor test structure and a field MOS capacitor, respectively. The values of R and C obtained from these structures are in accordance to the RC product obtained by means of CIRCDEM when the correction of the edge effect of the interconnection capacitance is taken into account.<
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