Direct probing characterization vehicle test chip for wafer level exploration of transistor pattern on product chips

Due to recent changes in the manufacturing of FEOL (front end of line) layers it is increasingly difficult to provide rapid learning cycles required to drive yield improvement during new product introduction (NPI). The Direct Probe Characterization Vehicle (DPCV) Test Chip presented here provides direct access to thousands of transistors on a product chip. Only two masks are needed (contact & metal 1) to provide access to the DUTs of the unchanged FEOL layers of a product chip. The DPCV test chip is capable of matching the distribution of product transistor pattern. Measurement data indicate that corrective actions to the design and/or process recipes will reduce the gap between measured product chip transistors and their expected behavior based on SPICE simulations.