IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,333,227
Granted Patent B1
US 12,333,227 · App. 18/489,341 · Granted Jun 17, 2025

Machine-learning-based design-for-test (DFT) recommendation system for improving automatic test pattern generation (ATPG) quality of results (QoR)

Inventors: Apik A. Zorian (Santa Clara, CA); Fadi Maamari (San Jose, CA); Suryanarayana Duggirala (San Jose, CA); Mahilchi Milir Vaseekar Kumar (San Jose, CA); Basim Mohammed Issa Shanyour (Carbondale, IL)
Assignee: SYNOPSYS, INC.
G06F30/27G01R31/3177G01R31/318536
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,333,227
App. No.
18/489,341
Granted
Jun 17, 2025
Kind
B1
Abstract

A first set of features may be extracted from a first integrated circuit (IC) design. A trained machine learning (ML) model may predict a set of ranked test-case configurations for the first IC design based on the first set of features. A test-case configuration may correspond to a count of scan chain input and output ports and a scan chain length value.

Claims (46)

1. A method comprising:

extracting a first set of features from a first integrated circuit (IC) design;

predicting, by a trained machine learning (ML) model which executes on a processor, a set of ranked test-case configurations for the first IC design based on the first set of features, wherein each test-case configuration corresponds to a count of scan chain input and output ports and a scan chain length value;

selecting a first test-case configuration from the set of ranked test-case configurations; and

inserting scan chains in the first IC design based on the first test-case configuration to obtain an updated first IC design.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein for each suboptimal test-case configuration in the set of ranked test-case configurations, the trained ML model predicts an increase in a count of test cycles required for achieving a target test coverage relative to an optimal test-case configuration.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein for each suboptimal test-case configuration in the set of ranked test-case configurations, the trained ML model predicts a confidence level corresponding to the increase in the count of test cycles required for achieving the target test coverage relative to the optimal test-case configuration.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

collecting training data based on a set of test-case configurations for each IC design in a set of IC designs, the training data comprising:

a set of features extracted from each IC design, and

a count of test cycles required for achieving a target test coverage for each test-case configuration; and

training the ML model using the training data to obtain the trained ML model.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising generating the set of test-case configurations for each IC design, wherein each test-case configuration includes a different combination of a count of scan chain input and output ports and a scan chain length value.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the trained ML model is a tree-based boosting regression model.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of features extracted from the first IC design comprises one or more of: (1) a count of flip-flops, (2) a count of clock domains, (3) a count of faults, (4) a count of primitive gates, (5) static test coverage, and (6) random test coverage.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising stored instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

extract a first set of features from a first integrated circuit (IC) design;

predict a set of ranked test-case configurations for the first IC design based on the first set of features using a trained machine learning (ML) model, wherein each test-case configuration corresponds to a count of scan chain input and output ports and a scan chain length value; and

select a first test-case configuration from the set of ranked test-case configurations; and

insert scan chains in the first IC design based on the first test-case configuration to obtain an updated first IC design.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein for each suboptimal test-case configuration in the set of ranked test-case configurations, the trained ML model predicts an increase in a count of test cycles required for achieving a target test coverage relative to an optimal test-case configuration.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein for each suboptimal test-case configuration in the set of ranked test-case configurations, the trained ML model predicts a confidence level corresponding to the increase in the count of test cycles required for achieving the target test coverage relative to the optimal test-case configuration.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , further comprising stored instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

collect training data based on a set of test-case configurations for each IC design in a set of IC designs, the training data comprising:

a set of features extracted from each IC design, and

a count of test cycles required for achieving a target test coverage for each test-case configuration; and

train an ML model using the training data to obtain the trained ML model.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising stored instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate the set of test-case configurations for each IC design, wherein each test-case configuration includes a different combination of a count of scan chain input and output ports and a scan chain length value.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the trained ML model is a tree-based boosting regression model.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the first set of features extracted from the first IC design comprises one or more of: (1) a count of flip-flops, (2) a count of clock domains, (3) a count of faults, (4) a count of primitive gates, (5) static test coverage, and (6) random test coverage.

15. A system comprising:

a memory storing instructions; and

a processor, coupled with the memory and to execute the instructions, the instructions when executed cause the processor to:

extract a first set of features from a first integrated circuit (IC) design, wherein the first set of features extracted from the first IC design comprises one or more of: (1) a count of flip-flops, (2) a count of clock domains, (3) a count of faults, (4) a count of primitive gates, (5) static test coverage, and (6) random test coverage;

predict a set of ranked test-case configurations for the first IC design based on the first set of features using a trained machine learning (ML) model, wherein each test-case configuration corresponds to a count of scan chain input and output ports and a scan chain length value; and

select a first test-case configuration from the set of ranked test-case configurations; and

insert scan chains in the first IC design based on the first test-case configuration to obtain an updated first IC design.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein for each suboptimal test-case configuration in the set of ranked test-case configurations, the trained ML model predicts an increase in a count of test cycles required for achieving a target test coverage relative to an optimal test-case configuration.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein for each suboptimal test-case configuration in the set of ranked test-case configurations, the trained ML model predicts a confidence level corresponding to the increase in the count of test cycles required for achieving the target test coverage relative to the optimal test-case configuration.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the instructions when executed cause the processor to:

collect training data based on a set of test-case configurations for each IC design in a set of IC designs, the training data comprising:

a set of features extracted from each IC design, and

a count of test cycles required for achieving a target test coverage for each test-case configuration; and

train an ML model using the training data to obtain the trained ML model.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the instructions when executed cause the processor to generate the set of test-case configurations for each IC design, wherein each test-case configuration includes a different combination of a count of scan chain input and output ports and a scan chain length value.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the trained ML model is a tree-based boosting regression model.

Continuity (2)
Division 17345819 · Jun 11, 2021
Provisional Application 63038627 · Jun 12, 2020
References Cited (2)
US 10789550B2 · Liszewski · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200075117A1 · Lai · 2020 [cited by examiner]
Cited By (1)
US 12,657,364