Investigating Manufacturing Defects Leading to Potential Silent Data Errors

Silent Data Errors (SDEs), which corrupt or alter data without immediate detection, are an escalating concern for chip manufacturers and data centers. These errors can lead to serious consequences, especially when corrupted data is used in critical computing tasks. Their subtle and elusive nature makes SDEs particularly challenging to detect and address. This paper investigates manufacturing defects, specifically resistive opens, that have the potential to induce SDEs. We focus on defects that are undetectable by traditional Boolean-based testing methods and cause small delays in circuit behavior. The study also examines the challenges posed by FinFET technology, which, due to its reduced geometries, increased susceptibility, and the use of complex multi-fin and multi-finger structures, exacerbates the risk of SDEs. Furthermore, we explore how real-life operation conditions—such as IR-drop, crosstalk, and temperature variations—can contribute to the emergence of SDEs. Our findings identify certain resistive open defects as potential sources of SDEs and provide insights that could inform the development of enhanced manufacturing tests to mitigate these errors. This research offers a pathway to improving the robustness of chip designs and testing methodologies, ultimately reducing the impact of SDEs in critical systems.