Patent ID: 8352900

Claim:
A method comprising: testing integrated circuit devices using testing equipment connected to said integrated circuit devices to measure a voltage overshoot condition that occurs when a voltage of said integrated circuit devices exceeds a base operating voltage, and to measure a normal operating condition that occurs when said voltage of said integrated circuit devices does not exceed said base operating voltage, said testing producing historical data; determining a failure fraction for said normal operating condition comprising a proportion of dielectric failures that occur during said normal operating condition, using a computerized machine having access to said historical data; calculating an average overshoot voltage of a voltage waveform applied to said integrated circuit devices, using said computerized machine; determining, using said computerized machine, a failure fraction for said voltage overshoot condition comprising a proportion of said integrated circuit devices that experience dielectric failure during said voltage overshoot condition, said failure fraction for said voltage overshoot condition being based on said failure fraction for said normal operating condition and said average overshoot voltage; determining, using said computerized machine, a total failure fraction comprising a summation of said failure fraction for said normal operating condition and said failure fraction for said voltage overshoot condition; comparing said total failure fraction to a reliability target to identify whether said total failure fraction is acceptable, using said computerized machine; and reporting whether said total failure fraction is acceptable from said computerized machine.