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:
Oct. 24, 2000
Filed:
Jul. 15, 1998
Yuji Wada, Kodama-gun, JP;
Kaoru Fukuda, Kodama-gun, JP;
Yoshio Kamiko, Kitasaku-gun, JP;
Masaaki Mochiduki, Honjo, JP;
Abstract
Main tester unit tests an IC device for presence of a defect for each of a plurality of addresses of the IC device under predetermined test conditions and stores test results for the individual addresses into a first memory. Curing analysis processing section cures each of the addresses of the IC device determined as defective, on the basis of the test results for the individual addresses stored in the first memory. To this end, the curing analysis processing section may rearrange an address logic of the IC device to replace a physical space of the defective addresses with an extra or redundant address space and thereby place each of the defective addresses in a usable condition. In parallel with the operations by the curing analysis processing section, a defect analysis section acquires, from the main tester unit, the test results for the individual addresses along with data indicative of the predetermined test conditions for storage into a second memory, and analyzes a specific cause of the defect in the IC device on the basis of the stored data in the second memory. With this arrangement, it is possible to acquire information necessary for analyzing the defect in the IC during a curability determining analysis test on a mass production line and thereby can effectively analyze the specific cause of the detected defect.