scope:

The purpose of the reliability test chip RTC is to provide a minimum set of test structures for a fast reliability assessment of emerging CMOS technologies down to 0,5 µm. The basic test structures described in this document are used as test vehicles to obtain information about failure mechanisms even in non-mature semiconductor technologies. The failure mechanisms which are addressed by the RTC are the following: 1 - latch up; 2 - hot carrier degradation of transistors; 3 - time dependent dielectric breakdown of thin oxides; 4 - electromogration in metal lines and contacts. The number of test samples and the failure criteria will depend on the purpose of the test.