White Paper 4 Part II: A Novel Perspective on Transient AMR

Revision 1.0 — October 2026

This white paper on transient absolute maximum ratings (tAMR) is an extension of White Paper 4 on EOS [InCWP4] and the tAMR report from 2020 [InC2020]. It establishes a basis for mutual understanding of the maximum levels of transient pulses shared between semiconductor suppliers and system integration customers.

The white paper clarifies the terminology of tAMR and its role in communication between an IC manufacturer and system developer. Both standardized, application-specific test methods and generic pulse characterization methods (such as transmission-line pulses) can provide data to enable an efficient, meaningful flow of information between the supplier and the customer. The baseline for the discussion: the system’s stress robustness requirements do not equate to an equivalent stress at the IC pin.

The paper presents a complementary framework for the limits of transient stress in regimes of reliability degradation and immediate damage under transient stress. It does not intend to define a qualification standard but introduces terminology such as transient absolute maximum rating (tAMR) and acceptable transient stress area (ATSA) to support advanced system design and evaluation methodology, based on transient stress testing of the semiconductor component with a predefined stress event agreed upon between the IC supplier and the customer — via simple techniques such as a transmission line pulse (TLP) or industry standards. An example of a simple square-pulse TLP to determine the ATSA is discussed (Chapter 3).

(Click Here for full Revision 1.0 PDF of White Paper 4 Part II (tAMR)) - 5.0MB