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:
Aug. 24, 2004
Filed:
Jul. 09, 2003
Atsuo Oumiya, Kitahiroshima, JP;
Kouta Tanaka, Tokyo, JP;
Naoki Handa, Chitose, JP;
Kenji Kobayashi, Sapporo, JP;
Other;
Abstract
The present invention provides a semiconductor device and a testing method capable of easily detecting a short circuit in a memory circuit with high precision and efficiently detecting a short circuit in a memory circuit. A memory circuit in which memory cells are disposed at intersections of a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines performs, in a test mode, an operation of applying a predetermined potential to neighboring ones of a plurality of word lines or bit lines, an operation of selecting a plurality of word lines and applying a ground potential of the circuit to all of the plurality of bit lines, and an operation of setting all of the plurality of bit lines at a predetermined potential corresponding to the selection level of the word lines and setting all of the plurality of word lines into a non-selection state. By measuring current flowing in a power supply terminal of the semiconductor device, a short circuit between word lines, a short circuit between bit lines, a short circuit between a word line and a bit line, and the like are detected.