Author(s)

Rajiv Soundararajan, Ashok Srivastava, Siva Sankar Yellampalli

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In this paper, we present the implementation of a built-in current sensor (BICS) which takes into account the increased background current of defect-free circuits and the effects of process variation on ΔI_DDQ testing of CMOS data converters. A 12-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is designed as the circuit under test (CUT). The BICS uses frequency as the output for fault detection in CUT. A fault is detected if it causes the output frequency to deviate more than ±10% from the reference frequency. The output frequencies of the BICS for various (MOSIS) model parameters are simulated to check for the effect of process variation on the frequency deviation. A set of eight faults simulating manufacturing defects in CMOS data converters are injected using fault-injection transistors and tested successfully.

I_DDQ Testing, DAC, BICS, Sub-Micron CMOS IC, ΔI_DDQ Testing, Process Variation, Background Current

R. Soundararajan, A. Srivastava and S. Yellampalli, "ΔI_DDQ Testing of a CMOS Digital-to-Analog Converter Considering Process Variation Effects," Circuits and Systems, Vol. 2 No. 3, 2011, pp. 133-138. doi: 10.4236/cs.2011.23020.