Non-invasive timing analysis of IBM G6 microprocessor L1 cache using backside time-resolved hot electron luminescence

The application of picosecond imaging circuit analysis (PICA) to analyze the individual MOSFET switching time in the L1 cache using backside time-resolved hot electron luminescence was discussed. Optical emission measurement were performed on a flip-chip packaged G6 microprocessor thinned to approximately 60 μm. This analysis was fed back to hardware simulation for model tuning and contributed to timely implementation of the S/390 G6 system.