Design and Experimental Characterization of a New Built-In Defect-Based Testing Technique to Achieve Zero Defects in the Automotive Environment

Efficient screening procedures for the control of defectivity are vital to limit early failures, particularly in critical automotive applications. Traditional strategies based on burn-in and in-line tests are able to provide the required level of reliability, but they are expensive and time consuming. This paper presents a novel built-in circuitry to screen out gate oxide and crystal-related defects in Lateral Diffused MOS transistors. The proposed technique is based on an embedded circuitry that includes control logic, high-voltage generation, and leakage current monitoring. The concept and the advantages of the proposed screening procedure are described in detail and demonstrated experimentally in conjunction with the integration of a test chip.