Temporal characterization of CMOS circuits by time resolved emission microscopy

Temporal characterization of fast circuits built from silicon CMOS devices using hot electron light emission (which occurs during switching) is presented. The method, which is based on optical techniques, measures the switching of individual devices separated by as little as 0.5 - 1.0 micron, with extension to 0.17 micron spacings. It can simultaneously measure switching waveforms on thousands of devices, giving it a unique ability to efficiently survey large arrays of devices.