Patent ID: 6253353
Filing Date: 2001-06-26
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
A method for detecting a type of a short of a plurality of types of shorts in a circuit in a semiconductor device, the circuit including a plurality of power supply lines and a plurality of ground lines, the short being between at least one of the plurality of power supply lines and at least one of the plurality of ground lines, the method comprising the steps of:(a) providing a library including a plurality of sets of current-voltage characteristics, each of the plurality of sets of current-voltage characteristics being for a particular type of short of the plurality of types of shorts;(b) measuring a particular set of current-voltage characteristics of the semiconductor device; and(c) comparing the particular set of current-voltage characteristics to the plurality of sets of current-voltage characteristics in the library;wherein the type of short may be determined based on the comparison between the particular set of current-voltage characteristics and the plurality of sets of current-voltage characteristics in the library.