Electronic device including a sensor and a method of using the same
In an aspect, an electronic device can include a first sensor adjacent to a first portion of a peripheral edge of a die, a first access transistor electrically coupled to the first sensor, a second sensor adjacent to a second portion of the peripheral edge, and a second access transistor electrically coupled to the second sensor. In another aspect, an electronic device can include an edge guard ring and a sensor electrically insulated from the edge guard ring. The edge guard ring can include a interconnect. At least a portion of the first sensor overlaps or underlaps a portion of the first interconnect. Testing can be performed by comparing the electrical parameters of two or more sensors or by comparing the electrical parameters of one sensor versus a reference value. Testing can be performed at nearly any time, including after the electronic device is installed in a system.
1 . An electronic device, comprising:
a first sensor adjacent to a first portion of a peripheral edge of a die;
a first sensor access transistor electrically coupled to the first sensor;
a second sensor adjacent to a second portion of the peripheral edge of the die; and
a second sensor access transistor electrically coupled to the second sensor,
wherein:
the first sensor and the second sensor are different sensors, and the first portion and the second portion are different portions of the peripheral edge of the die, and
the electronic device is adapted such that:
when the first sensor access transistor is on and all other sensor access transistors not coupled to the first sensor are off, current can flow through the first sensor and no current flows through any other sensor in the die, and
when the second sensor access transistor is on and all other sensor access transistors not coupled to the second sensor are off, current can flow through the second sensor and no current flows through any other sensor in the die.
2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are substantially identical to each other.
3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third sensor adjacent to a third portion of the peripheral edge of the die;
a third sensor access transistor electrically coupled to the third sensor;
a fourth sensor adjacent to a fourth portion of the peripheral edge of the die; and
a fourth sensor access transistor electrically coupled to the fourth sensor,
wherein:
the first portion of the peripheral edge of the die includes a first corner of the die,
the second portion of the peripheral edge of the die includes a second corner of the die,
the third portion of the peripheral edge of the die includes a third corner of the die, and
the fourth portion of the peripheral edge of the die includes a fourth corner of the die, and
the first corner, the second corner, the third corner, and the fourth corner are different corners of the die.
4 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein, from a top view, each of the first sensor, the second sensor, a third sensor, and a fourth sensor is an L-shaped sensor.
5 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein, from a top view, each of the first sensor and the second sensor is a U-shaped sensor.
6 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller adapted to provide a voltage to a gate electrode of the first sensor access transistor or the second sensor access transistor to turn on or turn off the first sensor access transistor or the second sensor access transistor.
7 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an electronic comparator electrically coupled to the first sensor access transistor and the second sensor access transistor.
8 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein:
the first sensor has a first length extending from a first end of the first sensor to a second end of the first sensor,
the second sensor has a second length extending from a first end of the second sensor to a second end of the second sensor, and
the second length is within 5% of the first length.
9 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein:
the first sensor has a first sheet resistance,
the second sensor has a second sheet resistance, and
the first sheet resistance is within 5% of the second sheet resistance.
10 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an edge guard ring between the peripheral edge of the die and each of the first sensor and the second sensor, wherein:
the die has a width dimension and a length dimension that is equal to or greater than the width dimension, and
all of a length of each of the first sensor and the second sensor is a distance from the peripheral edge, wherein the distance is at most 9% of the width dimension of the die.
11 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an edge guard ring that includes an interconnect and is between the peripheral edge of the die and each of the first sensor and the second sensor,
wherein the first sensor, the second sensor, and the interconnect of the edge guard ring are at a same interconnect level.
12 . A method, comprising:
obtaining a first electrical parameter associated with a first sensor, wherein:
a die includes the first sensor, a second sensor, and sensor access transistors, including a first pair of sensor access transistors, and a second pair of sensor access transistors,
the first sensor is adjacent to a first portion of a peripheral edge of the die,
the first pair of sensor access transistors is electrically coupled to opposite ends of the first sensor,
the second sensor is adjacent to a second portion of the peripheral edge of the die,
the second pair of sensor access transistors is electrically coupled to opposite ends of the second sensor, and
obtaining the first electrical parameter is performed while the first pair of sensor access transistors is on and all other sensor access transistors are off;
obtaining a second electrical parameter associated with the second sensor while the second pair of sensor access transistor is on and all other sensor access transistors are off; and
determining whether or not a first crack in the die is adjacent to or extends through the first sensor or whether or not a second crack in the die is adjacent to or extends though the second sensor.
13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
placing a first voltage difference across the first sensor, wherein obtaining the first electrical parameter comprises measuring a first current associated with the first sensor; and
placing a second voltage difference across the second sensor, wherein obtaining the second electrical parameter comprises measuring a second current associated with the second sensor,
wherein determining is performed using the first current and the second current.
14 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
injecting a first current into the first sensor, wherein obtaining the first electrical parameter comprises measuring a first voltage drop associated with the first sensor; and
injecting a second current into the second sensor, wherein obtaining the second electrical parameter comprises measuring a second voltage drop associated with the second sensor,
wherein determining is performed using the first voltage drop and the second voltage drop.
15 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
obtaining a third electrical parameter associated with a third sensor while a third pair of sensor access transistors is on, wherein:
the third sensor is adjacent to a third portion of the peripheral edge of the die,
the third pair of sensor access transistors is electrically coupled to opposite ends of the third sensor,
a fourth sensor is adjacent to a fourth portion of the peripheral edge of the die,
a fourth pair of sensor access transistors is electrically coupled to the fourth sensor and is not electrically connected to the third sensor, and
obtaining the third electrical parameter is performed while the third pair of sensor access transistors is on and all other sensor access transistors are off;
obtaining a fourth electrical parameter associated with the fourth sensor while the fourth pair of sensor access transistors is on and all other sensor access transistors are off; and
determining whether or not a third crack in the die is adjacent to or extends through the third sensor or whether or not a fourth crack in the die is adjacent to or extends through the fourth sensor.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein:
the first portion of the peripheral edge is adjacent to a first corner of the die,
the second portion of the peripheral edge is adjacent to a second corner of the die,
the third portion of the peripheral edge is adjacent to a third corner of the die,
the fourth portion of the peripheral edge is adjacent to a fourth corner of the die, and
the first corner is opposite the fourth corner, and the second corner is opposite the third corner.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein:
obtaining the first electrical parameter is performed while current flows through the first sensor and does not flow through any other sensor,
obtaining the second electrical parameter is performed while current flows through the second sensor and does not flow through any other sensor,
obtaining the third electrical parameter is performed while current flows through the third sensor and does not flow through any other sensor, and
obtaining the fourth electrical parameter is performed while current flows through the fourth sensor and does not flow through any other sensor.
18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein any two or more of the first crack, the second crack, the third crack, and the fourth crack are different parts of a same crack.
19 . The method of claim 12 , wherein:
the first sensor and the second sensor are substantially identical to each other, and
determining whether the first crack in the die is adjacent to or extends through the first sensor or the second crack in the die is adjacent to or extends through the second sensor comprises comparing the first electrical parameter and the second electrical parameter to each other.
20 . The method of claim 12 , wherein determining whether the first crack in the die is adjacent to or extends through the first sensor or the second crack in the die is adjacent to or extends through the second sensor comprises:
comparing the first electrical parameter to a first reference value corresponding to the first sensor, and
comparing the second electrical parameter to a second reference value corresponding to the second sensor.
21 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the method is performed:
before packaging the die,
before attaching the die or a packaged die including the die to an other die or a printed wiring board or a circuit board,
after attaching the die or the packaged die to the other die or the printed wiring board or the circuit board and before installing other die or the printed wiring board or the circuit board into a first electrical system, or
on the die, where a second electrical system that includes (1) the die or the packaged die attached to (2) the other die or the printed wiring board or the circuit board.