October 26, 2023 Subject: Methodologies for Enhancing Testability and Reliability in VLSI Systems
As semiconductor technology scales toward smaller geometries (sub-7nm) and System-on-Chip (SoC) architectures become increasingly complex, the challenge of verifying circuit correctness has escalated from a secondary concern to a dominant factor in design cost and time-to-market. Traditional "test-after-manufacture" approaches are no longer sufficient to handle the intricacies of deep submicron defects. This paper explores the symbiotic relationship between digital system testing and Design for Testability (DFT). It examines the evolution from basic fault models to advanced structural test techniques, analyzes key DFT architectures such as Scan and Built-In Self-Test (BIST), and discusses the economic implications of testable design solutions in modern manufacturing. digital systems testing and testable design solution