On-chip EMI monitoring for integrated circuits of 55nm and below technologies

For 55nm and below technologies, the maximum operation frequency of integrated circuits (IC) can reach multiple Giga Hertz. However, extremely high operation frequency causes high power supply fluctuation, which results significant on-chip and off-chip electromagnetic interferences (EMI). The peak power supply drop caused by EMI noise affects Integrated Circuit (IC) performances, and may cause functional failure. This paper first categorizes potential on-chip/off-chip EMI sources, and monitoring solutions. Then, to monitor IC performance under EMI, an on-chip EMI monitoring system is also presented. This work has been implemented on silicon of very advanced technology. Silicon data verifies the effectiveness of the on-chip EMI monitoring system presented.