Infineon Technologies Ag

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Qimonda Ag

Infineon Technologies LLC

Siemens Aktiengesllschaft

Robert Kaiser

Florian Schamberger

Helmut Schneider

Thilo Schaffroth

Martin Brox

J&uuml;rgen Lindolf

Bret A Johnson

Hans-J&uuml;rgen Krasser

Wolfgang Anton Spirkl

Dominique Savignac

Gerd Frankowsky

Robert Feurle

Christian Sichert

Norbert Wirth

Karl-Peter Pfefferl

Athanasia Chrysostomides

Volker Kilian

Heinrich Hemmert

An integrated circuit for analyzing the waveform of an input signal includes a first storage circuit and a second storage circuit that are each supplied with the input signal. The first and second storage circuits are controlled by a clock signal. The first storage circuit is used to store a state for the input signal when the clock signal has a rising edge. The second storage circuit is used to store a state for the input signal when the clock signal has a falling edge. An evaluation circuit compares the states of the input signal that are stored in the first and second storage circuits during a selected time span. The comparison can be used to decide whether the input signal assumes periodic fluctuations or an approximately permanently static value during the time span.

Integrated circuit

The invention relates to a method for testing a memory device with the memory device being able to be operated in a normal operating mode and a test mode and encompassing an output driver, input driver, and data pads. The method includes the steps of communicating test input data to be used for a test to the memory device, performing a test using the test input data in order to obtain test output data, the test data read out being passed via an output driver, at least one data pad, and an input driver, wherein the input drivers and output drivers are switched during the test in such a way as to enable data to be simultaneously read from and written to the memory device, and creating a data test result from the test output data. Furthermore, the invention relates to a memory device and a system for testing a memory device.

Loop-back method for measuring the interface timing of semiconductor devices with the aid of signatures and/or parity methods

A method for testing semiconductor memory modules in which data are stored in banks with an addressable matrix structure containing rows and columns. Defect addresses of the defect locations in the banks are transmitted in compressed form to an external test device. The rows and/or the columns are subdivided into regions. The defects occurring in the respective region are counted row by row and/or column by column. The number of defects in each region is compared row by row and/or column by column with a threshold value, and the comparison results are transmitted as additional information row by row and/or column by column together with the defect addresses to a test device.

Method for testing semiconductor memory modules

A comparison method compares the address of a memory cell with a known address of a faulty memory cell in a semiconductor memory module. The module is subdivided into banks and has an address structure in which each address is associated with a bank that is organized in rows and columns and is defined by a row address, a column address and a bank address. Not only the row address is determined, but also the column address and the bank address when a memory access occurs. A bank is activated with a bank selection signal, and the access to a valid address of a faulty memory cell is indicated by an enable register.

Method for comparing the address of a memory access with an already known address of a faulty memory cell

A system for testing an integrated circuit at a plurality of locations with a plurality of test modes includes a sequence of test-mode storage devices, each of which has an input and an output. The sequence includes at least first and second test-mode storage devices located at corresponding first and second locations on the integrated circuit and configured to store first and second test modes. The first test-mode storage device is configured to perform a shift operation by providing the first test-mode at its output. The second test-mode storage device has its input connected to the output of the first test-mode storage device. This second device is configured to perform the shift operation by receiving, at its input, the first test mode and providing, at its output, the second test-mode.

System for testing an integrated circuit using multiple test modes

An integrated circuit includes a data processing unit, a buffer memory, and a setting memory. The buffer memory performs the function of registers for storing data for the processing unit. The buffer memory is connected to the setting memory. The setting memory can be written to through the buffer memory.

Integrated circuit having a data processing unit and a buffer memory

The invention relates to an integrated test circuit in an integrated circuit for testing a plurality of internal voltages. A switching device is provided to select one of the internal voltages in accordance with a selection signal for the purpose of testing, and a comparator device is provided in order to compare a measurement voltage, dependent on the selected internal voltage, with an externally provided reference voltage. An error signal is output as a result of the comparison.

Integrated test circuit in an integrated circuit

A circuit configuration for driving a programmable link has a drive circuit for the selection and blowing of the fuse, and also a shift register, by which an activation signal can be fed to the drive circuit. In order to provide the data to be blown, in a preferred embodiment, a volatile memory cell may be provided. The present circuit configuration enables the blowing of fuses and thus repair of defective memory cells in mass memories even after encapsulation of a chip having the mass memory. Moreover, the shift register described effectively prevents impermissibly high currents from being able to occur as a result of simultaneous blowing of too many fuses.

Circuit configuration for driving a programmable link

A circuit configuration for driving a programmable link has a volatile memory cell, which is coupled to the fuse for the permanent storage of data stored in the volatile memory, and also a shift register, which enables data to be read out from the volatile memory cell and data to be written to the memory cell. In this case, a plurality of shift registers may be interconnected to form a shift register chain for the purpose of driving a plurality of fuses. The shift register chain thus enables fast writing and reading to/from the volatile memory with a low outlay on circuitry.

A data read access and a data write access is shared between two memory banks. A first memory bank of which is operated with a clock that is shifted by half a clock pulse with respect to the operating clock of the other, second memory bank. Partial data streams are combined at the output of the two memory banks to form a data stream with double the frequency.

Method and apparatus for operating a semiconductor memory at double data transfer rate

The semiconductor component is provided for connection to a test system. An external clock signal with a modulated duty ratio can be input to the semiconductor component at a connection provided for that purpose on the semiconductor component. The latter has a clock recovery circuit, which obtains a periodic clock signal from the modulated clock signal, and a shift register, to which the modulated clock signal can be fed in a manner clocked by the periodic clock signal and which provides a data signal. The present invention makes it possible, in particular in mass memory chips, to feed in clock signals and also program, address or data signals for the realization of BIST via just one connection contact.

Semiconductor component for connection to a test system

A circuit configuration for driving a programmable link, for example a fuse, is specified, having a drive circuit for driving the fuse in a manner dependent on a signal present at the data input, and also a volatile memory, whose output is preferably directly connected to the data input of the drive circuit. A circuit configuration for particularly fast and simple programming of fuses, in particular electrically programmable fuses, is thereby specified.

An integrated circuit includes a self-test device which is provided for executing a self-test of the integrated circuit and which has a control output. A program memory is connected to the self-test device for storing at least one test program supplied from outside the integrated circuit. The test program is run by the self-test device during execution of a self-test. The self-test device controls loading of a respective test program to be run into the program memory from outside the integrated circuit through the control output thereof.

Integrated circuit having a self-test device for carrying out a self-test of the integrated circuit

The invention relates to a semiconductor module having a plurality of signal paths for carrying external signals that each contain a setup and hold circuit on the basis of a latch circuit with a full latch and a logic circuit. The latch circuit contains at a beginning of the signal path upstream of the logic circuit a hold latch. The hold latch responds to the leading edge of a fast clock signal derived from the clock signal of the external signal, for the early latching of the external signal and for the decoupling of the hold time from the setup time. The full latch is disposed downstream of the logic circuit for the final latching of the external signal or of a signal derived from the latter.

Semiconductor module

In the configuration, the module can &ldquo;learn&rdquo; one or more time intervals from the external tester and then repeat them internally or compare them to its own internally measured time intervals, for instance, for the purpose of evaluating whether the module in question has crossed a time specification value or remains below the value. The module can also measure and store one or more internal time intervals and transmit them to the external tester in digital or analog form.

Growing community of inventors

Kaufering, Germany

Robert Kaiser