A simple array-based test structure for the AC variability characterization of MOSFETs

Abstract

A simple array-based test structure has been developed to characterize AC variability in deeply scaled MOSFETs. Each test structure consists of 128 devices under test (DUTs) whose relative delays are characterized using a logic gate-based delay detector circuit. The delay measurement technique only requires a single off-chip DC voltage measurement for each DUT. A design-time optimization is performed on each DUT array to ensure that the measured delays of each DUT primarily reflects its AC, or short time-scale, characteristics rather than previously well-studied DC characteristics such as saturation current, threshold voltage, and channel length. The circuit is implemented in an advanced CMOS SOI technology and occupies an area of 400m 20m. Simulations show that the test circuit effectively isolates the possible presence of AC effects from known DC variation sources for the transistors. © 2011 IEEE.