Measurement and Simulation of the Magnetic Fields from a 555 Timer Integrated Circuit using a Quantum Diamond Microscope and Finite Element Analysis

TL;DR

This study uses a 555 timer IC as a model to demonstrate quantum diamond microscopy for magnetic field imaging, validated by simulations, to improve IC diagnostics and benchmark measurement techniques.

Contribution

It introduces a 555 timer IC as a standard model system for optimizing and benchmarking QDM magnetic imaging of integrated circuits.

Findings

QDM magnetic images are consistent with simulations.

Three measurement methods are compared and evaluated.

Magnetic signatures of current paths are identified.

Abstract

Quantum Diamond Microscope (QDM) magnetic field imaging is an emerging interrogation and diagnostic technique for integrated circuits (ICs). To date, the ICs measured with a QDM were either too complex for us to predict the expected magnetic fields and benchmark the QDM performance, or were too simple to be relevant to the IC community. In this paper, we establish a 555 timer IC as a "model system" to optimize QDM measurement implementation, benchmark performance, and assess IC device functionality. To validate the magnetic field images taken with a QDM, we used a SPICE electronic circuit simulator and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to model the magnetic fields from the 555 die for two functional states. We compare the advantages and the results of three IC-diamond measurement methods, confirm that the measured and simulated magnetic images are consistent, identify the magnetic signatures of current paths within the device, and discuss using this model system to advance QDM magnetic imaging as an IC diagnostic tool.