A BIST scheme for testing and repair of multi-mode power switches

It was shown recently that signature analysis can be used for the test, diagnosis and repair of a robust multi-mode power-gating architecture. A drawback of this approach is that it requires a tester in a production-test environment, and potentially expensive manufacturing steps are necessary to repair defective power switches. We propose a built-in self-test (BIST) and built-in-self-repair (BISR) scheme for test and repair of multi-mode power switches. The proposed method reduces test cost and obviates additional manufacturing steps for post-silicon repair. In addition to eliminating the need for an external tester, it offers protection against latent defects that are manifested as errors in the field. In this way, the robust BIST/BISR solution for power switches enhances the reliability of multi-core chips that employ aggressive power management techniques. Simulation results highlight the low hardware overhead and effectiveness of the proposed method for detecting, diagnosing and repairing defects.