In response to the increased speed of CPUs and the requirements for reduced power consumption in mobile devices, advanced ICs have undergone a lowering of voltage, conversion to flip chips and size reduction. Consequently it has become difficult to analyze the timing of internal operations with conventional techniques.

The TriPHEMOS tool preserves a non-contact method for analyzing circuit timing. The weak light emission emitted by n-MOS and p-MOS transistors during the switching process can be utilized to measure signal timing on modern CMOS integrated circuits during dynamic operation.

Hamamatsu succeeded in developing a unique highly sensitive 2-dimensional imaging detector based on the Resistive Anode Photomultiplier technology. A new low noise photocathode has been developed by Hamamatsu's Electron Tube Division to enable Near-IR sensitivity at a very low noise level, which is required to localize emission signals from modern low voltage devices. The system records spatial and time information of each single photon detected. While conventional systems are working with a point detector, which is only able to analyze the signal emitted at a single point of interest, the TriPHEMOS system adds spatial information. The signals of all transistors imaged within the field of view can be acquired in one acquisition process and analyzed on-line as well as in an off-line analysis. The users get much more information by this process and make the analysis more efficient and secure.

TriPHEMOS is offered in three versions:

• downward system with tester docking from bottom side
• inverted system with tester docking from top side (see also iPHEMOS)
• inverted system with backside prober

Users can select the system configuration based on individual requirements.
Besides the TriPHEMOS sensor a laser scanner is implemented in the system to acquire high quality pattern images, enabling exact emission localization. In combination with Hamamatsu's NanoLens –a high performance silicon immersion lens solution- spatial resolution sufficient for exact localization of emission signals even on 65 nm and smaller devices can be obtained.

• analysis of signal timing of low voltage devices
• non-contact method
• high time resolution
• high NIR sensitivity
• very low noise
• recording of time and spatial information
• multi point simultaneous measurement

• Verification of timing of operation
• Design verification
• Failure analysis of devices