A probabilistic model for path delay faults

Testing path delay faults (PDFs) in VLSI circuits is becoming an important issue as we enter the deep submicron age. However, it is difficult in general, since the number of faults normally is very large and most faults are hard to sensitize. To make delay fault testing and test synthesis easier, we propose a probabilistic PDF model. We investigate probability density functions for wire and path delay size to model the fault effect in the circuit under test. In our approach, delay fault size is assumed to be randomly distributed. An analytical model is proposed to evaluate the PDF coverage. We show that the fault size of the undetected paths can be greatly reduced if these paths are conjoined with other detected paths. Therefore, by our approach, path selection and synthesis of PDF testable circuits can be done more accurately. Also, given a test set, fault coverage can be predicted by calculating the mean delay of the paths.