Infineon Technologies Ag

Infineon Technologies North America Corp.

David SuitWai Ma

James J Dietz

Tao Wang

Bing Ren

George William Alexander

Jennifer Faye Huckaby

Steven Michael Baker

Paul Edward Brucke

Torsten Partsch

Thoai-Thai Le

Guenter Gerstmeier

Rainer Hoehler

Aiqin Chen

A method and apparatus for monitoring and adjusting an analog signal of an operating circuit. The apparatus includes a control circuit, an analog-to-digital converter, and a comparator. The control circuit has an analog generator for generating the analog signal and an adjusting circuit for adjusting the strength of the analog signal. The analog-to-digital converter receives the analog signal and converts the analog signal to a digital signal. The comparator then compares the value of the digital signal to a predetermined value and generates a comparator signal. The adjusting circuit then receives the comparator signal and adjusts the strength of the analog signal based upon the value of the comparator signal. The method includes generating the analog signal, converting the analog signal to a digital signal, comparing the value of the digital signal to a predetermined value and adjusting the strength of the analog signal.

Continuous self-calibration of internal analog signals

Methods and apparatuses for adjusting trim settings for internally generated voltages of an integrated circuit device are provided. In one embodiment the apparatus receives a target digital value for an internally generated voltage, and compares the target digital value to a current digital value for the internally generated voltage. If the comparison indicates that a difference between the target digital value and the current digital value is greater than an allowable threshold, a trim setting used to trim the internally generated voltage is adjusted based on the difference. The trim setting may be adjusted until the difference between the target digital value and the current digital value is less than or equal to the allowable threshold.

Implementation of a fusing scheme to allow internal voltage trimming

A testing system or method compares read data from one or more dies in a semiconductor wafer with the original data written onto the one or more dies. The testing system includes one or more write registers connected to one or more dies on the semiconductor wafer. One or more comparators are connected to the dies and the write registers. The comparator generates a result in response to the original data and the read data.

System and method for testing one or more dies on a semiconductor wafer

Method and apparatus for testing a plurality of devices on a device wafer. One embodiment provides a test circuitry wafer having a first surface and a second surface, the test circuitry wafer comprising a plurality of contact pads disposed on the first surface for contacting a plurality of device pads on the device wafer, a plurality of interface pads disposed on the second surface for contacting probe needles on a probe card and one or more test features disposed in the test circuitry wafer, wherein the one or more test features are electrically connected to at least one of the contact pads and the interface pads.

Test circuitry wafer

A memory includes input/output paths and electrical leads. Each of the input/output paths are coupled to separate electrical leads. The memory is configured to operate in a test architecture and an operating architecture. In the test architecture, logic enables a greatest number of input/output paths. In the operating architecture, the memory enables the same or fewer input/output paths. The method of selecting a configuration includes establishing an operating and a test architecture and testing the memory in its greater input/output configuration.

Integrated circuit in a maximum input/output configuration

A testing system or method compares read data from one or more dies in a semiconductor wafer with the original data written onto the one or more dies The testing system includes one or more write registers connected to one or more dies on the semiconductor wafer. One or more comparators are connected to the dies and the write registers. The comparator generates a result in response to the original data and the read data.

A power down is implemented in a memory device capable of performing a read operation in which data and a data strobe signal are supplied as outputs. The power down techniques includes generating a first signal for preventing the data from being supplied as an output of the memory device, generating a second signal for causing the data strobe signal to remain in a predetermined state, and generating a third signal for preventing the data strobe signal in the predetermined state from being supplied as an output of the memory device.

Methods and apparatus for implementing a power down in a memory device

Apparatus and method for testing a device wafer having a plurality of devices formed thereon. One embodiment of the invention provides an interface wafer comprising a plurality of contact pads disposed on a first surface for contacting a plurality of device pads on the device wafer and a plurality of interface pads disposed on a second surface for contacting probe needles on a probe card, wherein the plurality of interface pads are electrically connected to the plurality of contact pads and wherein the plurality of interface pads are disposed in a relaxed-pitch arrangement as compared to the plurality of contact pads.

Wafer probecard interface

An integrated memory circuit and corresponding method for segmenting bit lines are provided, where the integrated memory circuit includes a sense amplifier, a layered bit line in signal communication with the sense amplifier, several segment pass transistors in signal communication with the layered bit line, several segmented bit lines, each in signal communication with a corresponding one of the several segment pass transistors, respectively, several memory cell pass transistors in signal communication with one of the several segmented bit lines, and a plurality of memory cell capacitors, each in signal communication with a corresponding one of the plurality of memory cell transistors, respectively; and where the corresponding method for segmenting bit lines includes receiving a memory cell address, activating a memory cell pass transistor with a wordline corresponding to the memory cell address, receiving a signal indicative of the memory cell charge level on a segmented bit line through the memory cell transistor, activating a segment pass transistor corresponding to the memory cell address, receiving a signal indicative of the memory cell charge level on a layered bit line through the segment pass transistor, and receiving a signal indicative of the memory cell charge level at the sense amplifier through the layered bit line.

Bit line segmenting in random access memories

A system and method for monitoring internal voltage sources in an integrated circuit, such as a DRAM integrated circuit, includes an internal analog multiplexing circuit, an internal analog-to-digital converter, and an interface circuit. Through the analog multiplexing circuit, the analog-to-digital converter sequentially connects to each voltage source and converts the measured voltage level of the source to a binary word. The interface circuit presents the binary word, e.g., serially, to test equipment off the integrated circuit.

System and method for monitoring internal voltages on an integrated circuit

A data topography correction circuit for a semiconductor memory device and method for testing the device is provided. The data topography correction circuit includes a redundant hit circuit for determining if a redundant element has been used to replace a defective element; and a redundant topology correction scrambler circuit for converting data from a data topology of the defective element to a data topology of the redundant element. The method includes the steps of providing an address of a memory array element of the device to be tested; determining if the memory array element has been replaced with a redundant element; and, if the memory array element has been replaced, correcting test data to the data topology of the redundant element.

Topography correction for testing of redundant array elements

A cooling hood for a circuit board is provided. The circuit board includes at least one semiconductor device. The cooling hood includes a duct mounted onto the circuit board and surrounding at least a portion of the semiconductor device. The duct forms an inlet and an outlet. A cooling medium enters the duct through the inlet and exits the duct through the outlet.

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Cary, NC, United States of America

David SuitWai Ma