Proportional BIC sensor for current testing

A new design of a BIC sensor for current testing static CMOS circuits is proposed. It is based on a lateral BJT device which is easy to incorporate in any standard CMOS process. The design diverts a fraction of the I_DDQ current from the cell under test and a resistive component generates a voltage proportional to I_DDQ. Additional features are the possibility of continuous measure of i_dd and increased speed of this sensor compared with sensors based on the current integration principle. The design does not have substrate currents due to the parasitic vertical BJTs. Experimental work on the sensor is reported.