Tackling test trade-offs for BIST RTL data paths: BIST area overhead, test application time and power dissipation

Power dissipation during test application is an emerging problem due to yield and reliability concerns. This paper focuses on BIST for RTL data paths and discusses testability trade-offs in terms of test application time, BIST area overhead and power dissipation. Using a complex validation flow and experimental data for over 30,000 testable data paths, it is shown how test application time decreases asymptotically when increasing power constraints. Further, it is experimentally demonstrated why power conscious test synthesis and test scheduling algorithms are required due to large variations in useless power dissipation as test application time decreases. Finally, while previous research has outlined that test application time decreases as BIST area overhead increases, this paper shows that in order to reach high quality solutions in terms of test application time and BIST area overhead under given power constraints, a three dimensional design space needs to be explored.