Defect oriented fault diagnosis for semiconductor memories using charge analysis: theory and experiments

We evaluated a diagnostic technique based on the charge delivered to the IC during a transition. Charge computed from the transient supply current is related to the circuit internal activity. A specific activity can be forced into the circuit using appropriate test vectors to highlight possible defect locations. Experimental results from a small test circuit and a 256 K SRAM demonstrate the experimental viability of the technique. The theoretical foundation is also discussed.