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:
Apr. 17, 2007
Filed:
Sep. 01, 2005
Joerg Kliewer, Munich, DE;
Herbert Benzinger, Munich, DE;
Stephan Schroeder, Munich, DE;
Manfred Proell, Dorfen, DE;
Joerg Kliewer, Munich, DE;
Herbert Benzinger, Munich, DE;
Stephan Schroeder, Munich, DE;
Manfred Proell, Dorfen, DE;
Infineon Technologies AG, Munich, DE;
Abstract
A semiconductor memory and a test method for testing whether word line segments () are floating after an activation operation or a deactivation operation is disclosed. For this purpose, the charge-reversal current (I) that occurs in the event of a word line segment () being subjected to charge reversal or a charge quantity (Q) which is fed to the word line () or conducted away from the word line segment () as a result of this is measured. If, upon activation or deactivation of a word line segment (), the measured charge-reversal current (I) or the corresponding charge quantity (Q) is less than a lower limit value, it is ascertained that the relevant word line segment () has a defective contact terminal. In this way, high-impedance or defective contact hole fillings can thereby be identified and the associated word line segments () can be replaced by redundant word lines.