The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 04, 2000
Filed:
Apr. 17, 1998
Grady Lawrence Giles, Austin, TX (US);
Kerry Ken Kanbe, Austin, TX (US);
William Clayton Bruce, Jr, Austin, TX (US);
Motorola, Inc., Schaumburg, IL (US);
Abstract
A method of memory array testing that detects defects which are sensitive to environmental conditions. A repair signature is generated reflecting the repair state of the memory. A memory device is rejected if there is a change in the repair signature of the memory array over the operating range of the device. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a memory array, spare memory elements for repairing defective locations of the memory array, a built-in self-test (BIST) circuit for detecting faults in the memory array, a built-in self-repair (BISR) circuit for causing the failed memory location of the memory array to be replaced with a spare memory element, and a signature generator where the signature is based on a compression of addresses corresponding to failed memory locations, wherein the signature is used to determine that a repair result of the memory array is invariant over different environmental conditions.