International Business Machines Corporation

Globalfoundries Inc.

Jens Kuenzer

Cedric Lichtenau

Thomas Gentner

Thomas Pflueger

Martin Eckert

Otto Andreas Torreiter

Thomas Strach

Antje Mueller

Martin Recktenwald

Tilman Gloekler

Rolf Bernhard Hilgendorf

Andreas Schmid

Peter Anthony Sandon

Gerard M Salem

Jochen Preiss

Willm Hinrichs

Tobias Gemmeke

Ulrich Weiss

Sebastian Ehrenreich

Cédric Lichtenau

Rolf B Hilgendorf

Andreas Koenig

Martin Padeffke

Alejandro Alberto Cook Lobo

Christoph Jaeschke

Mathew I Ringler

Daniel Kiss

Dana J Thygesen

A method, computer program product and/or system is disclosed. According to an aspect of this invention, a device under test (DUT) is switched to a functional test mode. In some embodiments of the present invention, the DUT receives a general scan design (GSD) pattern while in the functional test mode. In some embodiments, the DUT executes a first functional test corresponding to the GSD pattern. In yet other embodiments, the DUT further comprises a state machine that controls the execution of the first functional test. The DUT may further store the output address, the output data, and the status to an address register, a data register, and a status register, respectively and/or send the output address, the output data, and the status to an address register to an automatic testing equipment (ATE).

ATE compatible high-efficient functional test

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a built-in self-test system for an electronic circuit. The system includes a memory having two or more base seeds stored thereon. The system further includes seed generation logic configured to generate, based at least in part on the two or more base seeds, a plurality of generated seeds. The generated seeds can be constructed from the base seeds such that each of the generated seeds encodes a test pattern that satisfies a functional constraint. A finite state machine is configured to generate, based on the plurality of generated seeds, a sequence of constrained pseudorandom test patterns. A test controller is operable to place the electronic circuit into a test mode based on the constrained pseudorandom test pattern.

Constrained pseudorandom test pattern for in-system logic built-in self-test

The invention relates to an electronic circuit () having one or more latch scan chains (), the electronic circuit () comprising (i) a built-in test structure (); (ii) generation means () for simultaneously generating scan-in data for each of said scan chains (); (iii) interception means () for simultaneously intercepting test lines () of said scan chains (), said test lines () comprising scan-in lines () and/or control lines (). Said interception means () are responsive to said generation means () in order to simultaneously feed the generated scan-in data into each of said scan chains () for initializing the electronic circuit (). The invention further relates to a method for initializing an electronic circuit (), as well as a data processing system () for initializing an electronic circuit ().

Electronic circuit having serial latch scan chains

A system for layout effect characterization of an integrated circuit includes a memory having computer readable instructions and a processor for executing the computer readable instructions. The computer readable instructions include selecting an adjustable clock setting of an input clock for a layout effect characterization circuit of the integrated circuit and enabling a predetermined duty cycle of the input clock to pass through a plurality of inverting device chains including a reference chain and one or more chains having a different inverting device arrangement and a same number of inverting devices per chain. The computer readable instructions also include measuring a captured output of the one or more chains having the different inverting device arrangement and a captured output of the reference chain.

Layout effect characterization for integrated circuits

A layout effect characterization circuit includes a plurality of inverting device chains including a reference chain and one or more chains having a different inverting device arrangement and a same number of inverting devices per chain. A low pass filter is coupled to an output of the inverting device chains to produce a filtered output. An output capture circuit is coupled to the filtered output to enable a comparison of a captured filtered output of the one or more chains having the different inverting device arrangement to a captured filtered output of the reference chain.

An aspect includes forming a layout effect characterization circuit by incorporating a plurality of inverting device chains including a reference chain and one or more chains having a different inverting device arrangement and a same number of inverting devices per chain in an integrated circuit layout. A low pass filter is coupled to an output of the inverting device chains to produce a filtered output. An output capture circuit is coupled to the filtered output to enable a comparison of a captured filtered output of the one or more chains having the different inverting device arrangement to a captured filtered output of the reference chain.

An improved method monitors memory circuits, especially those used in integrated circuits. The method provides: writing random data in at least one monitor cell, which is implemented as a regular memory cell with an artificially deteriorated stability in order to provoke early fails when compared to fails in a regular memory cell; reading the random data out of the at least one monitor cell; comparing the output data of the read operation against an expected value to detect a value mismatch; and reporting the value mismatch to an error structure if the value mismatch is detected.

Method, system, computer program product, and data processing device for monitoring memory circuits and corresponding integrated circuit

A semiconductor chip subdivided into power domains, at least one of the power domains is separately activated or deactivated and at least a part of the scannable storage elements are interconnected to one or more scan chains. At least one scan chain is serially subdivided into scan chain portions and the scan chain portion is arranged within one of the power domains. For at least one scan chain portion a bypass line is provided for passing by scan data and at least one select unit is provided for selecting between the bypass line and the corresponding scan chain portion in dependence of the activated or deactivated state of the corresponding power domains.

Semiconductor chip with a plurality of scannable storage elements and a method for scanning storage elements on a semiconductor chip

The illustrative embodiments provide accurate time-based counters for scaling operating frequencies of microprocessors. A time-based counter circuit configuration in which a fixed frequency clock is derived from a PLL of the clock generation circuit of the microprocessor and is used to feed the external and internal timebase logic as well as a timebase accumulator counter. The timebase accumulator counter accumulates the tick events from the timebase logic between two core clocks. The accumulated value is transferred to the core clock domain on every clock edge of a scalable clock and the accumulator is then reset. Because the accumulated ticks are transferred to the core clock domain before the accumulator is reset, no ticks are ever lost using the circuitry of the illustrative embodiment.

Providing accurate time-based counters for scaling operating frequencies of microprocessors

A mechanism provides accurate time-based counters for scaling operating frequencies of microprocessors. The mechanism makes use of a time-based counter circuit configuration in which a fixed frequency clock is derived from a PLL of the clock generation circuit of the microprocessor and is used to feed the external and internal timebase logic as well as a timebase accumulator counter. The timebase accumulator counter accumulates the tick events from the timebase logic between two core clocks. The accumulated value is transferred to the core clock domain on every clock edge of a scalable clock and the accumulator is then reset. Because the accumulated ticks are transferred to the core clock domain before the accumulator is reset, no ticks are ever lost using the circuitry of the illustrative embodiment.

A synchronization system capable of simultaneously resetting frequency divide-by counters () of multiple processors (A, B) to zero regardless of the divide-by frequency signal (Mclk/n signal ()) and regardless of the magnitude of the clock mesh delays experienced by the Mclk/n signals in the processors. The synchronization system includes a mesh delay circuit () for each processor that simulates in the undivided signal (Mclk/1 signal ()) the clock mesh delay experienced by the Mclk/n signal in that processor so as to provide an Lclk signal (). A phase detector detects the phase offset between the Mclk/n signal and the Sysclk signal () and sends an asynchronous offset signal () to a counter re-setter () that resets the divide-by counter to zero based on the offset signal.

Growing community of inventors

Boeblingen, Germany

Jens Kuenzer