Characterisation and measurement of high performance integrated circuits

本建议支持高性能集成电路（IC）的实际设计和制造。主申请人和共同申请人目前参与设计各种先进应用，包括RF模拟CMOS IC以及光学和RF-MEMS器件。这些IC的测试和表征在测量设置中容易出现许多误差源。这些测量应在裸硅芯片上进行，以避免键合线、封装和测试夹具的影响。所要求的Cascade Microtech M150探测站是为我们的应用完成精确表征和测量所不可或缺的。该探针台可用于各种晶圆和其他器件的精密电气测量，范围从单个芯片到150 mm晶圆到模块和印刷电路板组件。M150与高性能射频探头相结合，为我们不同的IC和器件提供了一个可靠的测量平台，可实现精确的射频测量。此外，带有直流探头和附件的M150具有三轴保护性能，可为我们的不同组件提供精确的模型提取，使我们能够获得精确的低电容、低泄漏、屏蔽测量结果。所要求的设备将对推进我们的研究和发展我们的研究生和本科生在达尔豪西大学VLSI研究实验室的专业知识产生重大影响。

The present proposal supports the practical design and fabrication of high performance integrated circuits (ICs). The principal applicant and the co-applicants are currently involved in the design of wide range of advanced applications covering RF analog CMOS ICs, and optical- and RF-MEMS devices. Testing and characterisation of those ICs are prone to many sources of error in the measurement setups. These measurements should be done on a bare silicon die to avoid bond wire, package and test fixture effects. The requested Cascade Microtech M150 probing station is indispensible to accomplish accurate characterisation and measurement for our applications. This probe station can be used for precision electrical measurement of a variety of wafers and other devices ranging from singulated die to 150mm wafers to modules and printed circuit board assemblies. The M150 combined with high performance RF probes provides a reliable measurement platform for accurate RF measurement for our different ICs and devices. Also the M150 with DC probes and accessories, with guarded triaxial performance will offer accurate model extraction of our different components and allow us to obtain accurate low capacitance, low leakage, shielded measurement results. The requested equipment will have a great impact on advancing our research and on developing the expertise of our graduate and undergraduate students in the VLSI Research Lab of Dalhousie University.