A GA-Based X-Filling for Reducing Launch Switching Activity toward Specific Objectives in At-Speed Scan Testing

• Published in: IEICE Transactions on Information and Systems Vol. E94.D; no. 4; pp. 833 - 840
• Main Authors: MIYASE, Kohei, FURUKAWA, Hiroshi, KAJIHARA, Seiji, WEN, Xiaoqing, YAMATO, Yuta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers 2011; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Applied sciences; at-speed scan testing; Balancing; Benchmarking; Central processing units; Circuits; Design. Technologies. Operation analysis. Testing; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; genetic algorithm; Genetic algorithms; Integrated circuits; IR-drop; launch switching activity; Launches; Reduction; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Switching; Switching and signalling; Systems, networks and services of telecommunications; Telecommunications; Telecommunications and information theory; X-filling; Performance evaluation; X-filling; Scalability; Evolutionary algorithm; Switching; IR-drop; at-speed scan testing; Computation time; Integrated circuit testing; Genetic algorithm; Electric power consumption; Nominal value; Low-power electronics; launch switching activity
• ISSN: 0916-8532; 1745-1361; 1745-1361
• DOI: 10.1587/transinf.E94.D.833

Power-aware X-filling is a preferable approach to avoiding IR-drop-induced yield loss in at-speed scan testing. However, the ability of previous X-filling methods to reduce launch switching activity may be unsatisfactory, due to low effect (insufficient and global-only reduction) and/or low scalability (long CPU time). This paper addresses this reduction quality problem with a novel GA (Genetic Algorithm) based X-filling method, called GA-fill. Its goals are (1) to achieve both effectiveness and scalability in a more balanced manner and (2) to make the reduction effect of launch switching activity more concentrated on critical areas that have higher impact on IR-drop-induced yield loss. Evaluation experiments are being conducted on both benchmark and industrial circuits, and the results have demonstrated the usefulness of GA-fill.