Keywords: reliability, noise testing, microelectronics components
Start Date: 1 May 1994 / Status: finished / Duration: 24 months
[ participants / contact]
The overall objective of the project is to establish a methodology for technology and reliability lifetime control and improvement based on the use of low frequency noise measurements as a diagnostic tool.
The first step consists of defining a relevant set of noise measurements to predict the reliability behaviour of electronic components (e.g., MOS and bipolar devices, solar cells, semiconductor lasers) and semiconductor sensors. Then the appropriate test methodology and strategy are defined. In order to increase the industrial applicability of the proposed methodology, a part of the activities is devoted to the automation of the measurement set-up and data handling. The final validation of the diagnostic tool will be performed by using microelectronics devices fabricated in the Czech Republic.
European links: Two partners are members of the Human Capital and Mobility Network ELEN (European Laboratory for Electronic Noise).
During the first phase of the project, a detailed action plan for the future activities has been determined. This includes a selection of the different technologies (that is MOS, bipolar and sensors), an evaluation strategy and test plan for the static device and noise parameters, and a definition of the stressing conditions for reliability evaluation. In a second phase, the defined test methodology has been validated and, when needed, modified. During the last phase of the project, an automated measurement set-up has been designed and fabricated allowing operation in an industrial production environment. The usefulness of the system has been successfully demonstrated in collaboration with Tesla Blatna.
After 15 months, an open workshop has been organised. The proceedings of the workshop are available and contain the 37 presented papers from 12 countries. The NODITO results have also been presented at different international conferences, whereas some scientific publications are in preparation. Action is taken for the commercial exploitation of the noise tester.
IMEC
Kapeldreef 75
B-3001 Leuven, B
EU Partners
IMEC, B
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B
Non-EU Partners
Technical University Brno, CZ
Prof. Dr. Cor Claeys
Tel: +32 16 28 13 28
Fax: +32 16 28 12
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E-mail: Claeys@imec.be
NODITO - CP93-7942, May 1997
please address enquiries to the ESPRIT Information Desk
html version of synopsis by Nick Cook