Product reliability in 90nm CMOS and beyond

While 90nm and 45nm CMOS matures from the lab to the manufacturing floor, the reliability of the product becomes more important as defect densities and degradation mechanisms that affect microprocessors may not be observable in sufficient quantities or magnitude at the macro level. There is a need to understand that the interaction between design and manufacturing, as it relates to field reliability, is moving beyond test-site measurements and design simulation alone. Only via the integration of reliability methodologies throughout the entire product development cycle will tomorrow's products be successful. Understanding the product reliability and performance metrics through the useful life of the product is imperative. This requires knowledge of the most sensitive circuits and the mechanisms that are most likely to negatively affect them. The most time efficient way to do this is by tracking these metrics through an accelerated life stress and evaluating fails accordingly.