Patent ID: 9625325
Date: 2017-04-18
CPC Classifications: G01K,G01L,G01N,G01R,H01J,H01L

Claim:
1. A computer-implemented method for identifying an operating temperature of an integrated circuit (IC), the method comprising using a computing device to perform actions including: applying a test voltage to a plurality of test circuits embedded within the IC at respective test sites, each of the plurality of test circuits including a phase shift memory (PSM) element therein, wherein each PSM element crystallizes at a crystallization temperature from an amorphous phase having a first electrical resistance into a crystalline phase having a second electrical resistance, the second electrical resistance being less than the first electrical resistance; determining whether a resistance of each test circuit of the plurality of test circuits at the test voltage is outside of a respective target operating range; and identifying a respective one of the plurality of test circuits as having operated above the crystallization temperature in response to the resistance of the respective test circuit being outside of the respective target operating range.