Thermally-Induced Voltage Alteration (TIVA) is a relatively new technique for locating electrical defects in integrated circuits [1,2]. This paper describes a novel application of TIVA, to locate design anomalies. A newly designed integrated circuit with high and inconsistent Quiescent Power Supply Current (IDDQ) was initially diagnosed with limited success using various failsite isolation techniques. The TIVA technique was successful in accurately locating design anomalies. Results from TIVA identified a spurious ring oscillator in the design. Design modifications carried out using a focussed ion beam (FIB), verified the accuracy of the results from TIVA. This study clearly extends the use of TIVA beyond that of locating electrical defects and anomalies into the realm of design debugging.
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