Method and system for providing a library for identifying VCC to ground shorts in a circuit in a semiconductor device

A system and method for detecting a type of a short of a plurality of types of shorts in a circuit in a semiconductor device is disclosed. The circuit includes a plurality of power supply lines and a plurality of ground lines. The short is between at least one of the plurality of power supply lines and at least one of the plurality of ground lines. In one aspect, the method and system include providing a library including a plurality of sets of current-voltage characteristics. Each of the plurality of sets of current-voltage characteristics is for a particular type of short of the plurality of types of shorts. In this aspect, the method and system further include measuring a particular set of current-voltage characteristics of the semiconductor device and comparing the particular set of current-voltage characteristics to the plurality of sets of current-voltage characteristics in the library. The type of short may be determined based on the comparison between the particular set of current-voltage characteristics and the plurality of sets of current-voltage characteristics in the library. In another aspect, the method and system provide a tool for detecting the type of a short. In this aspect, the method and system include creating a plurality of types of shorts in a functioning semiconductor device, measuring a plurality of sets of current-voltage characteristics for the functioning semiconductor device, and saving the plurality of sets of current-voltage characteristics in a library.