Implicit test of high-speed analog circuits using non-intrusive sensors

In this talk, we will discuss built-in test solutions based on non-intrusive sensors. These sensors are basic analog stages that mimic part of the architecture of the device under test (we refer to them as dummy circuits) and process control monitors. They are laid out in close proximity to the device under test on the same substrate, but are not electrically connected to it. Instead, their operation is based on the fact that they undergo the same process variations as the device under test. As a result, any degradation in the performances of the device under test reflects on the outputs of the sensors that shift away from their nominal values. In essence, we capitalize on an undesired phenomenon, i.e. the inter-die process variations, to minimize the cost of the RF test.