According to one exemplary embodiment, a test structure for determining electromigration and interlayer dielectric failure comprises a first metal line situated in a metal layer of the test structure. The test structure further comprises a second metal line situated adjacent and substantially parallel to the first metal line, where the second metal line is separated from the first metal line by a first distance, and where the first distance is substantially equal to minimum design rule separation distance. The test structure further comprises an interlayer dielectric layer situated between the first metal line and the second metal line. According to this exemplary embodiment, electromigration failure is determined when a first resistance of the first metal line or a second resistance of the second metal line is greater than a predetermined resistance, and interlayer dielectric failure is determined when a first current is detected between the first and second metal lines.

A device and method for controlling the temperature of a semiconductor module in which the semiconductor module is sandwiched by a first supporting unit and a second supporting unit. An area of the second supporting unit with which the semiconductor module comes into contact is shielded from heat of external ambient atmosphere, and has a temperature sensor provided thereat. The temperature of the first supporting unit is controlled so that the temperature of this area becomes equal to a predetermined temperature. The amount of heat moving from the heat-shielded area to the semiconductor module is small, so that the difference between the temperatures in the region extending from the heat-shielded area and the semiconductor module is small. The first and second supporting units may be separately controlled at different predetermined temperatures. By this, changes in the temperature of the semiconductor module caused by changes in outside air temperature are reduced. The invention aims at making the difference between the temperature of the semiconductor module and a predetermined temperature small when controlling the temperature of the semiconductor module by bringing it into contact with the supporting units whose temperatures have been controlled.

A method for measuring electromigration includes the steps of measuring a corresponding voltage increase across an interconnect as a function of time for a plurality of nonzero heating rates and calculating an interconnect integrity from the voltage increase.

A system that facilitates non-invasive in-line characterization of parameters of VLSI circuit interconnects is provided. A plurality of micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) cantilevers apply voltage(s) to VLSI circuit interconnect(s) without physical contact thereto. A measuring component measures deflection characteristics of the cantilevers, the deflection(s) correspond to electrical forces generated from the applied voltage(s) as passed through VLSI circuit interconnect(s). A component computes characteristics of the VLSI interconnect based at least in part upon the measured deflection characteristics.

An integrated test circuit arrangement is provided that contains integrated test structures, at least one integrated heating element, an integrated detection unit, an integrated supply unit, and a control unit. The integrated detection unit detects at least one physical property for each of the test structures. The integrated supply unit supplies each of the test structures with a current or a voltage in switchable fashion independently of one another. The control unit is connected to outputs of the detection unit on an input side and controls the supply unit dependent on the detection results.