Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

Freescale Semiconductor,inc.

Stmicroelectronics Gmbh

Stmicroelectronics International N.v.

V Srinivasan

Stefano Pietri

Chris C Dao

Juxiang Ren

Nicolas Bernard Grossier

Nicolas Grossier

Satinder Singh Malhi

Tripti Gupta

Nicolas Grosssier

Sabyasachi Das

A system and method for testing an integrated circuit using methodologies to reduce voltage drop during ATPG and LBIST testing. In one embodiment, delay elements may be added to a clock circuit used to generate the various clock signals that trigger the switching of the various electronic components. In another embodiment, logic circuitry may be added to a clock generation circuit to isolate clock domains in order to enable a clock signal in each clock domain in a specific pattern. In yet another embodiment, capture phases for LBIST testing may be made to be asynchrounous within each capture phase, such that data capture for one LBIST partition may be timed different from other capture phases for other LBIST partitions. Finally, a further embodiment ATPG circuitry may also be partitioned such that logic circuitry only enables one (or less than all) ATPG partition at a time.

System and method for reducing voltage drop during automatic testing of integrated circuits

A Voltage regulator includes a first input terminal configured to receive an input supply voltage, includes a second input terminal configured to receive a regulated output supply voltage as a function of the input supply voltage or to receive a test supply voltage and comprises a power transistor including an input terminal configured to receive the input supply voltage and including an output terminal configured to generate the regulated output supply voltage. The Voltage regulator is configured, during a start-up phase of a test operation mode, to receive a control signal equal to the input supply voltage, is configured to receive the input supply voltage having a substantially increasing trend, detect that the input supply voltage is equal to a first voltage threshold and generate, as a function of the detected signal and of the control signal, a by-pass signal having a transition from a first logic value to a second logic value for indicating a by-pass status of the Voltage regulator, and is configured to receive the by-pass signal having the second logic value and open the power transistor. The second input terminal is configured, during the test operation mode, to receive the test supply voltage having a test value different from a nominal value of the regulated output supply voltage.

Voltage regulator with by-pass capability for test purposes

A voltage regulator bypass circuit to control bypass of a voltage regulator of an integrated circuit device, the voltage regulator bypass circuit including a first voltage detector, a second voltage detector, and circuit. The first voltage detector to detect that a core circuitry voltage level is above a first threshold and to assert a first detect signal at an output in response to the detection. The second voltage detector to detect that an unregulated supply voltage is above a second threshold and to assert a second detect signal at an output in response to the detection. The circuit having a first input coupled to the output of the first voltage detector and a second input coupled to the output of the second voltage detector, the circuit to bypass the voltage regulator in response the output of the latch being cleared.

System and method for controlling bypass of a voltage regulator

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V Srinivasan