Reliability evaluation and system fail warning methods using on chip parametric monitors

1. A method of reliability evaluation and system fail warning using on chip parametric monitors, comprising:

determining, by an apparatus, impact of parametric variation on reliability of a circuit by:

identifying key parametric questions to be answered by stress;

identifying parametric macros for each parameter;

identifying layout sensitive areas of evaluation;

including a set of parametric macros in one of a test site of the circuit and a product comprising the circuit to be stressed;

testing the set of parametric macros prior to start of stress and at each stress read out; and

setting a life time parameter profile for technology.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the key parametric questions comprise how parameters of the test site or the product will change over a lifetime of the test site or the product.

3. The method in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the parametric macros measure or monitor each said parameter and comprise an on-chip parametric performance monitoring system.

4. The method in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the key parametric questions further comprise how does a threshold of at least one of voltage, resistance, capacitance, and current change.

5. A method of reliability evaluation and system fail warning using on chip parametric monitors, comprising:

determining impact of parametric variation on reliability of a circuit by:

identifying key parametric questions to be answered by stress;

identifying parametric macros for each parameter;

identifying layout sensitive areas of evaluation;

including set of parametric macros in one of the test site or the product to be stressed;

testing the set of parametric macros prior to start of stress and at each stress read out; and

setting life time parameter profile for technology; and

setting system fail criteria and enabling warning of approaching fail by:

identifying fail limit for key parameters for individual semiconductor product modules used in a higher level of assembly;

identifying parametric measurement macros for each key parameter to be monitored in the higher level of assembly;

including a set of the parametric measurement macros in the product to be monitored at the higher level of assembly;

creating a card and/or board and/or system level diagnostic to enable measurement of each key parameter; and

providing a warning limit for each key macro.

6. A method of reliability evaluation and system fail warning using on chip parametric monitors, comprising:

determining impact of parametric variation on reliability of a circuit by:

identifying key parametric questions to be answered by stress;

identifying parametric macros for each parameter;

identifying layout sensitive areas of evaluation;

including set of parametric macros in one of the test site or the product to be stressed;

testing the set of parametric macros prior to start of stress and at each stress read out; and

setting life time parameter profile for technology; and

monitoring the warning limit for each key macro in routine maintenance for the higher level of assembly.

7. A method of reliability evaluation and system fail warning using on chip parametric monitors, comprising:

determining impact of parametric variation on reliability of a circuit by:

identifying key parametric questions to be answered by stress;

identifying parametric macros for each parameter;

identifying layout sensitive areas of evaluation;

including set of parametric macros in one of the test site or the product to be stressed;

testing the set of parametric macros prior to start of stress and at each stress read out; and

setting life time parameter profile for technology;

monitoring a module for impending failure; and

replacing the module before failure.

8. A method of reliability evaluation and system fail warning using on chip parametric monitors, comprising:

determining impact of parametric variation on reliability of a circuit by:

identifying key parametric questions to be answered by stress;

identifying parametric macros for each parameter;

identifying layout sensitive areas of evaluation;

including set of parametric macros in one of the test site or the product to be stressed;

testing the set of parametric macros prior to start of stress and at each stress read out; and

setting life time parameter profile for technology, wherein:

the key parametric questions comprise how parameters of the test site or the product will change over a lifetime of one of the test site or the product;

the parametric macros are scalable parametric measurement (SPM) macros configured to measure or monitor each said parameter comprised within the identified parametric questions;

the including the set of parametric macros comprises including the SPM macros in one of the test site or the product to be stressed;

the testing the set of parametric macros comprises testing the SPM macros prior to start of the stress and obtaining data regarding each said parameter, and exposing one of the test site or the product including SPM macros to the stress and obtaining data regarding each said parameter; and

the method further comprises: setting system fail criteria and enabling warning of approaching fail by:

identifying specific end of life warnings or fail limits for the SPM macros or each said parameter being measured or monitored by the SPM macros,

storing the identified end of life warnings or fail limits on one of the test site or the product,

enabling monitoring or measurement of each said parameter by the SPM macros, and

monitoring one of the test site or the product using the SPM macros, wherein if the SPM macros identify that at least one of each said parameter being monitored or measured reaches or exceeds an identified end of life warning or fail limit a system maintenance flag is raised.

9. A method for reliability evaluation and identifying when a semiconductor product parameter has shifted close to limits that may result in a system failure, the method comprising:

determining, by an apparatus, impact of parametric variation on reliability of a semiconductor product comprising a circuit by:

identifying key parametric questions that comprise how parameters of the semiconductor product will change over a lifetime of the semiconductor product when the semiconductor product is exposed to the stress,

identifying at least one scalable parametric measurement (SPM) macro to measure or monitor parameters of the semiconductor product comprised within the identified key parametric questions,

including the at least one SPM macro in a design of the semiconductor product such that the at least one SPM macro is included within the semiconductor product,

testing the semiconductor product including the at least one SPM macro prior to start of the stress and obtaining data regarding the parameters,

exposing the semiconductor product including the at least one SPM macro to stress and obtaining data regarding the parameters, and

identifying a lifetime parametric profile for the semiconductor product; and

setting system fail criteria and enabling warning of approaching fail by:

identifying specific end of life warnings or fail limits for the at least one SPM macro or parameters being measured or monitored by the at least one SPM macro,

storing the identified end of life warnings or fail limits on the semiconductor product,

enabling monitoring or measurement of the parameters by the at least one SPM macro, and

monitoring the semiconductor product using the at least one SPM macro, wherein if the at least one SPM macro identifies that at least one of the parameters being monitored or measured reaches or exceeds an identified end of life warning or fail limit a system maintenance flag is raised.

10. The method in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the key parametric questions comprise how does a threshold of voltage, resistance, capacitance, and current change, and the data obtained regarding the parameters comprises turn on current and threshold voltage.