Synopsys, Inc.

Virage Logic Corporation

Samvel Shoukourian

Yervant Zorian

Gurgen Harutyunyan

Valery Vardanian

Grigor Tshagharyan

Karen Amirkhanyan

Hayk Grigoryan

Karen Aleksanyan

Alexander Shubat

Karen Darbinyan

Suren Martirosyan

Tatevik Melkumyan

Aram Hakhumyan

Arman Davtyan

Sergey Karapetyan

A memory transparent in-system built-in self-test may include performing in-system testing on subsets of memory cells over one or more test intervals of one or more test sessions. A test interval may include copying contents of a subset of memory cells to a register(s), writing test data (e.g., a segment of a pattern) to the subset of memory cells, reading back contents of the subset of memory cells, and restoring the content from the register(s) to the subset of memory cells. In-system testing may be performed on overlapping sets of memory cells. In-system testing may be performed on successive subsets of memory cells within a row (i.e., fast column addressing) and/or within a column (fast column addressing). In-system testing may be performed on sets of m blocks of memory cells during respective test intervals. The number of m blocks tested per interval may be configurable/selectable.

Embedded memory transparent in-system built-in self-test

A system including a user interface, a memory, and a processor configured to perform operations including receiving memory scrambling information including address scrambling information and data scrambling information, and associating one or more address bus bits of a plurality of address bus bits with an address grouping of a plurality of address groupings based on the address scrambling information is disclosed. In an embodiment, the address grouping corresponds to at least one address segment of a plurality of address segments. The operations include determining an error correction code for the at least one address segment that includes one or more address check bits. The operations include generating a physical layout of memory components based on the memory scrambling information. The memory components include at least one of the plurality of address bus bits, and the one or more address check bits.

Detection of address errors in memory devices using multi-segment error detection codes

A method for determining redundancy usage rate from a group of memory parameters and a memory yield of a System on a Chip (SoC), using the probabilistic redundancy usage rate and using that rate to calculate an optimal RSMA size. An SoC is then fabricated with the optimal RSMA size.

Method and apparatus for SOC with optimal RSMA

A test methodologies for detecting both known and potentially unknown FinFET-specific faults by way of implementing an efficient and reliable base set of March elements in which multiple sequential March-type read operations are performed immediately after logic values (i.e., logic-0 or logic-1) are written into each FinFET cell of a memory array. For example, a March-type write-1 operation is performed, followed immediately by multiple sequentially-executed March-type read-1 operations, then a March-type write-0 operation is performed followed immediately by multiple sequentially-executed March-type read-0 operations. An optional additional March-type read-0 operation is performed before the March-type write-1 operation, and an optional additional March-type read-1 operation is performed before the March-type write-0 operation. The write-1-multiple-read-1 and write-0-multiple-read-0 sequences are performed using one or both of an increasing address order and a decreasing address order.

FinFET-based memory testing using multiple read operations

An integrated circuit includes a memory and a memory test circuit, which when invoked to test the memory, is configured to generate one or more March tests applied to the memory. The memory test circuit is further configured to construct a table including a first index, a second index, and a first March test of the one or more March tests. The first index is associated with one or more families each characterized by a different length of the one or more March tests. The second index is associated with one or more mechanisms each characterized by a different property of the one or more March tests. The memory test circuit is further configured to generate a second March test from the first March test.

Testing electronic memories based on fault and test algorithm periodicity

A memory structural model is generated directly from memory configuration information and memory layout information in an efficient manner. Information on strap distribution is generated by analyzing configuration information of the memory and the corresponding memory layout. Information on scrambling of addresses in the memory layout is generated by programming the memory layout with physical bit patterns, extracting corresponding logical bit patterns and then analyzing the discrepancy between the physical bit patterns and the logical bit patterns. The strap distribution information and the address scrambling information are combined into the memory structural model used for designing an efficient test and repair engine.

Generation of memory structural model based on memory layout

A desirable number of segments for a multi-segment single error correcting (SEC) coding scheme is determined based on scrambling information for a memory. The desirable number of segments can be the minimum number of segments required to satisfy a masked write segmentation requirement and a multi-bit upset size requirement. In one aspect, the memory scrambling information can specify the different scrambling techniques employed by the memory (e.g., Input-Output (IO) cell scrambling, column scrambling, column twisting, strap distribution, etc.). Based on the scrambling information, a mapping between the logical structure and physical layout for the memory can be derived. The mapping can be used to determine the least number of segments needed to satisfy the masked write requirement and the multi-bit upset size requirement.

Determining a desirable number of segments for a multi-segment single error correcting coding scheme

A method and system for testing an electronic memory. The method includes subjecting the electronic memory to a first test condition of a predetermined set of test conditions. The method also includes testing functionality of the electronic memory, a first plurality of times, for the first test condition using a predetermined test algorithm. The method further includes checking availability of a second test condition from the predetermined set of test conditions if the functionality of the electronic memory is satisfactory. Further, the method includes testing the functionality of the electronic memory, a second plurality of times, for the second test condition using the predetermined test algorithm if the second test condition is available. Moreover, the method includes accepting the electronic memory for use in a product if the functionality of the electronic memory is satisfactory.

Detecting random telegraph noise induced failures in an electronic memory

A structural primitive verification tool for memory compilers is described. A first set of memory structural primitives are supplied by a designer by filling in fields of a presented user interface. The first set of structural primitives describe certain physical layout features of a proposed memory array in an integrated circuit. A first model of a memory instance derived from the first set of memory structural primitives supplied by the designer is compared to a second model of a memory instance derived from a memory layout file from a memory compiler under-test. The first model is verified against the second model to verify to an integrity of the first set of memory structural primitives supplied by the designer compared to the memory layout file derived from a second set of memory structural primitives configuring that memory instance from the memory compiler.

Various methods and apparatuses for memory modeling using a structural primitive verification for memory compilers

A computer-implemented method for creating an integrated circuit, IC, test engine for testing a proposed IC memory array using new memory structural model. An IC designer inputs the number of words that can be stored and a column multiplexer ratio in a proposed IC memory array. A selection of one or more procedures is made from a library of computer-readable procedures. Each of the procedures is to produce one or more structural primitives that describe certain physical layout features of the proposed IC memory array, without analyzing a CAD layout file of the proposed IC memory array. The library of procedures as a whole translates between a physical model of a family of IC memory arrays and a user interface model of the family. A data background, DB, pattern is produced to be used by the test engine in testing the proposed IC memory array. This is done by executing the selected one or more procedures, wherein these procedures take as input the received number of words and column multiplexer size. Other embodiments are also described.

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Yerevan, Armenia

Samvel Shoukourian