As ANALOG/RF technologies move towards nanometer dimensions, process variation management as well as process-aware design methodologies have become a key ingredient of the semiconductor manufacturing cycle. Process variation management requires continuous process monitoring and feedback to offset process deviations due to environmental and thermal effects thereby improving chip yield 1. Current industry practice to determine yield/specification compliance of analog/RF technologies involves testing the device-under-test (DUT) through standard specification testing techniques. In general, analog/RF circuits are characterized through a multitude of specifications. For each individual specification, the standard testing technique involves a distinct test setup and utilizes expensive instrumentation which increase test-time and test cost. Further, these testing techniques do not provide any insight into process parameter variations.
展开▼
