Infineon Technologies Ag

Qimonda Ag

Wolfgang Ruf

Alexander Benedix

Martin Schnell

Reinhard Dueregger

Stefan Dankowski

Andreas Logisch

Reinhard Düregger

Björn Flach

Manfred Proell

Stephan Schroeder

Monica De Castro Martins

Michael Schittenhelm

Robert Hermann

Georg Erhard Eggers

Joerg Kliewer

Kapil Gupta

Markus Sickmoeller

Henning Hartmann

Rainer Kömmling

Mónica De Castro Martins

Hermann Haas

Ana Leao

Bjorn Flach

J&ouml;rg Stippler

Bj&ouml;rn Flach

Hermann Hass

An apparatus and methods for testing an integrated device comprising memory a test device are provided. At least two data inputs of the memory are coupled to a data output of the test device. As an alternative, at least two data outputs of the memory are coupled to a data input of the test device. Test data are transferred from the test device to the memory chip and written to memory cells of the memory. Data are read from the memory cells of the memory and transferring from the memory to the test device. The data read from the memory chip are compared with the test data written to the memory in order to identify faults of the memory.

Method and apparatus for testing a memory chip using a common node for multiple inputs and outputs

A memory device in a semiconductor substrate includes at least one temperature sensor to provide a temperature dependent signal and at least one circuit to dissipate heat in response to a control signal. A control circuit is coupled to the at least one circuit and is operable to generate the control signal in response to the temperature dependent signal.

Semiconductor memory device with temperature control

The test method, integrated circuit and test system embodiments disclosed herein relate to testing at least one integrated circuit which uses an internal operating clock and has a first number of address pins, a second number of command pins and an address generation circuit which receives at least one encoded address information item using a third number of the address pins, which is smaller than the first number, and provides the other address pins as a fourth number of free address pins, where at least one first command is transferred using the command pins and at least one second command is transferred using at least one portion of the fourth number of the address pins from a test apparatus to the integrated circuit using a test clock which has a lower rate than the internal operating clock.

Test method, integrated circuit and test system

An integrated device comprises a functional circuit, a test circuit for testing the functional circuit and for providing an error data item and a register element for storing the error data item and for outputting the error data item at an error data output of the integrated device responsive to an output signal. The register element is connected to a data input of the integrated device in order to accept a data item, which is applied to the data input, responsive to the output signal.

Integrated device for simplified parallel testing, test board for testing a plurality of integrated devices, and test system and tester unit

Disclosed is a test method for testing a data store having an integrated test data compression circuit where the data store has a memory cell array with a multiplicity of addressable memory cells, read/write amplifiers for reading and writing data to the memory cell via an internal data bus in the data store and a test data compression circuit which compresses test data sequences, which are each read serially from the memory cell array, with stored reference test data sequences in order to produce a respective indicator data item which indicates whether at least one data error has occurred in the test data sequence which has been read.

Testing a data store using an external test unit for generating test sequence and receiving compressed test results

The invention provides a method for testing circuit units to be tested in a test apparatus, different identification units being assigned to the circuit units to be tested, the circuit units to be tested being connected to the test apparatus, a tester data stream including command blocks being output from the test apparatus, the tester data stream being compared with the identification units, the circuit unit to be tested, the identification unit of which matches the tester data stream output by the test apparatus, being activated and at least one command block for this circuit unit to be tested being processed in the circuit unit to be tested, whereupon the circuit unit to be tested is deactivated.

Circuit arrangement and method for driving electronic chips

An insertable calibration device for a programmable tester apparatus comprises at least one calibration unit and a control unit. The progammable tester apparatus is configured to test at least one electronic device with electronic circuits. The progammable tester apparatus comprises a holding device, contact-making devices for the electronic device, and tester channels for coupling in signals to the electronic device. The calibration unit is connected to a first tester channel to be calibrated. The calibration unit is configured to detect a calibration signal edge of a calibration signal that is transmitted by the tester apparatus at a certain transmission instant, to detect a reference signal edge of a reference signal that is transmitted by the tester apparatus via a second tester channel at a reference instant, to compare the instants at which the two signal edges arrive, and to output a comparison result. The control unit evaluates the comparison results and can be used to program the transmission instants in such a way that the instants at which the calibration signal edge and the reference signal edge arrive, for the compensation of signal propagation time differences, are substantially identical. The calibration device has the same form and connections as the electric device and is insertable into the holding device with an accurate fit instead of the electronic device.

Insertable calibration device

A tester for semiconductor components with a plurality of channels is connected to a specific semiconductor component in order to characterize the signal path between tester and semiconductor component under production conditions. The specific semiconductor component includes measuring units that are connected to connection contacts and in each case provide the functionality of a signal generator, a signal detector, a digital communication interface and a receiving unit for trigger signals. The specific semiconductor component further includes a trigger logic to convey trigger signals between the receiving unit of a first one and the signal generator or detector of a second one of the measuring units.

Semiconductor component, arrangement and method for characterizing a tester for semiconductor components

A memory system for network broadcasting applications, such as video/audio applications, has at least one memory which is divided into a plurality of addressable memory units, which have a respective dedicated output for interchanging data. The inputs of a matrix switch are connected to a respective output of a different memory unit. The matrix switch is operated such that a plurality of the memory units are connected to its output in a sequential order. A first sequence of memory units and a second sequence of memory units are connected to its output independently. This results in a memory system, which can handle a number of requests to the same memory at staggered times. The interaction of the individual memory units with the matrix switch allows a high data throughput and a short access time.

Memory system for network broadcasting applications and method for operating the same

A backwards-compatible memory module is disclosed. According to one aspect, a memory module comprises addressable memory cells organized in organization units having a predetermined number of memory cells, a read/write control device clocked by a first clock signal, a plurality of prefetch registers for initially storing data read from the memory cells wherein the register size corresponds to the predetermined number. In a first operating mode, a switching device clocked by a second clock signal successively couples the prefetch registers to data input/output terminals. The number of data input/output terminals corresponds to the predetermined number. In a second operating mode, the switching device is controlled by at least one address signal and couples at least one of the prefetch registers to the data input/output terminals.

Backwards-compatible memory module

A method for replacing defective memory cells of a random access memory device of a data processing apparatus, in which, during the operation of the data processing apparatus, a defective memory cell is replaced by a replacement memory cell in the random access memory device by using a control instruction.

Method for replacing defective memory cells in data processing apparatus

A test configuration that includes a device and a method for testing the device in which test results determined during the testing of the device are stored in a memory in the device. In this way, the test results are connected with the device and available at any time for later evaluations.

Method for testing a device and a test configuration including a device with a test memory

To be able to test a plurality of identical semiconductor circuit devices in a particularly rapid yet reliable manner, a test method includes carrying out the tests in parallel and substantially simultaneously on the plurality of semiconductor circuit devices and driver lines&#x2014;used in the process&#x2014;of a test device to the semiconductor circuit devices simultaneously and jointly for all the semiconductor circuit devices. In such a case, test results are read from a plurality of input/output channels in compressed form. Furthermore, as an alternative or in addition thereto, the semiconductor circuit devices to be tested are disposed and connected up in at least one stack.

Method for testing semiconductor circuit devices

A method for classifying semiconductor components by their performance characteristics includes reading an identifier associated with a component and storing, in conjunction with the identifier, first and second performances values for that component. These performance values represent the component's achieved operating speed at each of two different temperatures. The component is then allocated to a speed category on the basis of the first and second performance values.

Method for classifying components

A method is provided for storing data in a memory device having memory cells arranged in memory cell rows and memory cell columns. The method can include a step for providing redundant memory cells in the memory device. The method can also include a step for localizing defective cells. Further, the method can include a step of accessing the redundant memory cells by means of a predeterminable access mode. The method can also include a step of bypassing defective memory cells of the memory device in a manner dependent on the predeterminable access mode during operation of the memory device for accessing redundant memory cells and for replacement by redundant memory cells. Further, the method can include a step for providing redundant memory cells for storing additional information describing a defect correction.

Growing community of inventors

Friedberg, Germany

Wolfgang Ruf