1. Purpose of the gate
The reliability stresses the macro needs have passed on test chips to the agreed plan, so the macro is technically ready for production use.
This is the third technical readiness review. A macro that meets its specification on the bench but fails a reliability stress is not ready for any integrator's production chip. The review checks that every stress in the reliability plan has been run to the plan's conditions and sample sizes, and that every failure has been analysed and closed or dispositioned.
Two criteria apply. The stresses in the reliability plan, such as electrostatic discharge, latch-up and operating life, have passed to the plan. Failures are analysed and closed or dispositioned.
Integrators will still qualify their own chips. What they need from the macro is evidence that it does not bring a reliability weakness into their product: protection on every pin that meets the agreed models, latch-up immunity at the agreed conditions, and wear-out mechanisms such as electromigration and ageing shown to be within limits.
Where a failure is dispositioned rather than fixed, the disposition and any limit it implies must be stated in the integration guide and the release notes.
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