System and method using locally heated island for integrated circuit testing

1. A test system for integrated circuits, comprising:

an energy source having an adjustable energy rate;

a feedback device, which measures a physical quantity at a discrete position on an integrated circuit;

a control circuit which adjusts the energy source to externally apply energy to the integrated circuit at the discrete position; and

a circuit tester to apply test programs to the integrated circuit while the discrete position is maintained at a value of the physical quantity in accordance with the control circuit.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit includes a semiconductor chip.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the energy source includes a laser and the energy rate includes a pulse rate.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the feedback device includes a temperature sensor.

5. The system as recited in claim 4 , wherein the temperature sensor includes a diode sensor circuit.

6. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the physical quantity includes temperature and the control circuit includes logic, which adjusts the energy rate up if the temperature is below a threshold and adjusts the energy rate down when the temperature is above the threshold.

7. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the feedback device includes a plurality of temperature sensors, each temperature sensor being associated with a discrete position on the integrated circuit.

8. The system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the plurality of temperature sensors has their output multiplexed to a single output of the integrated circuit.

9. The system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the plurality of temperature sensors is serially connected to from a scan chain such that the single output provides information about a position of the laser.

10. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the control circuit modifies a position of the energy source to provide energy to a different discrete location on the integrated circuit.

11. The system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a cooling system to enhance a temperature gradient between the discrete position and other portions of the integrated circuit.

12. A test system for integrated circuits, comprising:

a laser having an adjustable pulse rate;

a temperature sensor, which measures temperature at a discrete position on an integrated circuit;

a control circuit which adjusts the pulse rate of the laser to externally apply energy to the integrated circuit at the discrete position to maintain a temperature locally at the discrete position on the integrated circuit; and

a circuit tester to apply test programs to the integrated circuit while the discrete position is maintained at the temperature in accordance with the control circuit.

13. The system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the integrated circuit includes a semiconductor chip.

14. The system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the temperature sensor includes a diode sensor circuit.

15. The system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the control circuit includes logic, which adjusts the energy rate up if the temperature is below a threshold and adjusts the energy rate down when the temperature is above the threshold.

16. The system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the feedback device includes a plurality of temperature sensors, each temperature sensor being associated with a discrete position on the integrated circuit.

17. The system as recited in claim 16 , wherein the plurality of temperature sensors has their output multiplexed to a single output of the integrated circuit.

18. The system as recited in claim 16 , wherein the plurality of temperature sensors is serially connected to form a scan chain such that the single output provides information about a position of the laser.

19. The system as recited in claim 12 , wherein the control circuit modifies a position of the energy source to provide energy to a different discrete location on the integrated circuit.

20. The system as recited in claim 12 , further comprising a cooling system to enhance a temperature gradient between the discrete position and other portions of the integrated circuit.

21. An integrated circuit device configured for testing, comprising:

an integrated circuit chip including a plurality of logical regions forming thermal islands;

a temperature sensor associated with each logical region such that when energy is locally applied from an external energy source to one of the logical regions, a temperature is measured by the temperature sensor; and

a feedback loop which provides the measured temperature to the external energy source to provide for an adjustment thereof such that when a predetermined temperature is maintained locally on one of the thermal islands, a burn-in test for the integrated circuit chip is conducted while the chip is operational.

22. The device as recited in claim 21 , wherein the logical regions include one of processors and caches.

23. The device as recited in claim 21 , wherein the feedback loop includes a plurality of serially connected temperature sensors, each temperature sensors being associated with one of the logical regions.

24. The device as recited in claim 23 , wherein the plurality of temperature sensors forms a scan chain such that a single output of the scan chain provides information about a position of the energy source acting of the chip.

25. The device as recited in claim 23 , wherein the device includes a plurality of temperature sensors, which have their output, multiplexed to a single output of the integrated circuit.

26. The device as recited in claim 21 , further comprising a cooling system to enhance a temperature gradient between a logical region under test and other portions of the integrated circuit chip.