Near-field mapping system to scan in time domain the magnetic emissions of integrated circuits

Abstract

This paper introduces a low cost near-field mapping system. This system scans automatically and dynamically, in the time domain, the magnetic field emitted by integrated circuits during the execution of a repetitive set of instructions. Application of this measurement system is given to an industrial chip designed with a 180nm CMOS process. This application demonstrates the efficiency of the system but also the helpfulness of the results obtained to identify paths followed by the current, enabling to locate the potential IR drop zones. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.