Introduction

Abstract

The Integrated Circuit (IC) was invented in the 1950s. At the beginning, ICs were mainly used in computers. With the advancing miniaturization of the components, the significance of ICs as part of our daily life grows.Many consumer products such as mobile music players or cell phones use ICs (or “chips”) as core engines. A failure of these devices usually results in problems of lesser extent for the owner. But today, ICs also control safety critical applications. For example, chips are responsible for the correct mode of operation in car control systems, avionics or medical equipment. A failure of a chip can be life-threatening in the worst-case. Consequently, the correct mode of operation of a fabricated chip is crucial.