Magnetic Current Imaging Technology

Where is the current going?

               Micro Magnetics’ Circuit Scan 1000 (CS1000) is a magnetic imaging tool which uses the tiny magnetic fields emitted by all of the currents inside any chip to understand the innerworkings of the circuitry– without the need to process or eventouch the device at all. Using mathematical algorithms which convert the magnetic field data into a full distribution of current density,this system allows the user to see a map of all of the current flowing on every level of the device, down to the single microamp level. Because the current is the lifeblood of an integrated circuit, this map can be invaluableto engineers andtechnicians attempting to understand the nature of the problem.

Some common problems which are quickly diagnosed and/or located using our magnetic technique are:

             Our current imaging technology is quite similar to medical x-ray imaging.  In a CT scan, x-rays gather information about your body and inverse-calculate the body’s internal structure.  The CS1000 gathers the magnetic field information in a circuit and inverse-calculates its current distribution. Getting a CT scan is much more efficient than having surgery to diagnose the problem, and using non-invasive magnetic imaging to diagnose the problem will save you time and energy.

             Micro Magnetics now offers CS1000 imaging on a contractual per-hour basis.  Our non-invasive magnetic imagingrequires nosample preparation and allows you to see the flow of current on all levels of your sample, overlaid over crisp high-resolution optical images of the device.  Our software and analysis capabilities allow us to determine the strengthand depth ofcurrent flow, which enhances the localization capabilities and also allows us to validate new designs.

               When your sample arrives at Micro Magnetics for imaging, we power the device to your specifications and acquire a globalimageofthe current flow in the device.  From this information, we can then conduct localized imaging to investigate specificregions of interest.  Our expert scientists and engineers work closely with you to provide initial results within 48 hours (and often sooner).  We will then follow-up as needed to diagnose or localize the problem.

“In the scope of a few hours of scanning, using Micro Magnetics imaging technology, we were able to obtain images showing unexpected current paths in several areas of ourdie. The images also pointed to specific areas of the die that warranted furtherinvestigation.”

“The Micro Magnetics technology was impressive in every way, from the sensitivity and resolution of the magnetic image scans to the software that post processes the image data into current images and subsequent superposition onto optical images of our die. Every aspect of this technology and associated software was robust and feature rich.  [The CS1000] imaging technology was the enabling technology that contributed the most to our rapid identification of the underlying cause of our problem (metal-to-metal shorts).”

-- Recent Micro Magnetics customer feedback

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Keywords: failure analysis; circuit scan; mousebites; magnetic field; current flow; integrated circuit; x-ray imaging; failed device; magnetic imaging