Scan flip-flop and semiconductor integrated circuit device

• US 20030066002A1
• Filed: 09/04/2002
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Kanba, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 6,693,460 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/726
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31727 Clock circuits aspects, e.g. test clock circuit details, timing aspects for signal generation, circuits for testing clocks G01R31/31725 takes precedence; concerning scan test G01R31/318552, for tester hardware G01R31/31922
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318541 Scan latches or cell details
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318552 Clock circuits details
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/0372 of the master-slave type
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/0375 provided with means for increasing reliability; for protection; for ensuring a predetermined initial state when the supply voltage has been applied; for storing the actual state when the supply voltage fails digital storage cells each combining volatile and non-volatile storage properties G11C14/00

Abstract

A scan flip-flop (100A) that may operate as a positive flip-flop or a negative flip-flop in a normal operating mode has been disclosed. Scan flip-flop (100A) may include a master latching circuit (11), a slave latching circuit (12), and a clock circuit (13A). Clock circuit (13A) may receive a signal (XA), a control signal (control), and a mode signal (SCN). Signal (XA) may select between a positive flip-flop operation and a negative flip-flop operation when in a normal operating mode. Mode signal (SCN) may select between a normal operating mode and a scan test mode. Control signal (control) may disable signal (XA) so that scan flip-flop (100A) may operate in a known mode, such as a positive flip-flop, regardless as to the value of signal (XA). Scan flip-flop (100A) may reduce logic gates in clock lines which may be required in a conventional approach.

Claims

1. A scan flip-flop having a normal operation and a scan test operation, the scan flip-flop comprising:

a master latching circuit that latches a data input in response to a normal clock in the normal operation and latches a scan-in signal in response to a first scan clock in the scan test operation;

a slave latching circuit that provides the latched data input from the master latching circuit in synchronsim with the normal clock in the normal operation and provides the latched scan-in signal from the master latching circuit in synchronsim with a second scan clock in the scan test operation; and

a clock circuit coupled to receive a first switching signal that sets the master latching circuit and slave latching circuit to operate as a positive flip-flop or a negative flip-flop in the normal operation.

2. The scan flip-flop according to claim 1, wherein:

the clock circuit is coupled to receive a control signal that enables the setting between the positive flip-flop and negative flip-flop operations in accordance with the first switching signal.

3. The scan flip-flop according to claim 1, wherein:

the clock circuit is coupled to receive an operation selection signal that selects between the normal operation and the scan test operation.

4. The scan flip-flop according to claim 1, wherein:

the master latching circuit includes a first latch that latches the data input in response to the normal clock in the normal operation and latches the scan-in signal in response to the first scan clock in the scan test operation.

5. The scan flip-flop according to claim 1, wherein:

the slave latching circuit provides the latched data input from the master latching circuit at a data output terminal and provides the latched scan-in signal from the master latching circuit at a scan output terminal.

6. The scan flip-flop according to claim 1, wherein:

the master latching circuit latches the data input in response to a rising edge of the normal clock when operating as a positive flip-flop; and

the master latching circuit latches the data input in response to a falling edge of the normal clock when operating as a negative flip-flop.

7. The scan flip-flop according to claim 1, wherein:

the slave latching circuit latches the data input in response to the normal clock when a subsequent data input is being loaded in the master latching circuit.

8. A scan flip-flop having a normal operation for operating as a normal flip-flop receiving data input and a scan test operation for operating as a flip-flop receiving a scan-in signal as a test pattern signal and a first and second scan clock as test clocks, the scan flip-flop including:

a master latching circuit that temporarily holds the data input in response to a normal clock in the normal operation and that temporarily holds the scan-in signal in response to the first scan clock in the scan test operation;

a slave latching circuit that outputs the temporarily held data input in the master latching circuit in response to the normal clock in the normal operation and outputs the temporarily held scan-in signal in the master latching circuit in response to the second scan clock in the scan test operation; and

a clock circuit coupled to receive an externally applied first switching signal that configures the master latching circuit and slave latching circuit into a positive flip-flop that outputs the temporarily held data input in response to a rising edge of the normal clock or a negative flip-flop that outputs the temporarily held data input in response to a falling edge of the normal clock, the clock circuit also being coupled to receive an externally applied second switching signal that switches the master latching circuit and slave latching circuit into the normal operation or the scan test operation.

9. The scan flip-flop according to claim 8, wherein:

the clock circuit is coupled to receive an externally applied third switching signal that configures the master latching circuit and slave latching circuit into a positive flip-flop irrespectively of a value of the first switching signal.

10. The scan flip-flop according to claim 8, further wherein:

the master latching circuit includes

a first gate circuit having a first gate input and providing a first gate output;

a first transfer gate disposed between the data input and the first gate input, the first transfer gate inhibits or allows loading of the data input into the master latching circuit in response to the normal clock;

a second transfer gate disposed between the scan-in signal and the first gate input, the second transfer gate inhibits or allows loading of the scan-in signal into the master latching circuit in response to the first-scan clock;

a second gate circuit coupled to receive the first gate output at a second gate input and provide a second gate output;

a third transfer gate disposed between the second gate output and the first gate input to form a first latch including the first and second gate circuits and the third transfer gate;

the slave latching circuit includes

a third gate circuit having a third gate input and providing a third gate output;

a fourth transfer gate disposed between an output of the master latching circuit and the third gate input, the fourth transfer gate inhibits or allows loading of the output of the master latching circuit into the slave latching circuit in response to the normal clock;

a fourth gate circuit coupled to receive the third gate output at a fourth gate input and provide a fourth gate output; and

a fifth transfer gate coupled between the fourth gate output and the third gate input to form a second latch including the third gate circuit, the fourth gate circuit and the fifth transfer gate.

11. The scan flip-flop according to claim 10, wherein:

the clock circuit sets the master latching circuit and slave latching circuit as the positive flip-flop or the negative flip-flop by controlling the first transfer gate, second transfer gate, third transfer gate, and fourth transfer gate.

12. The scan flip-flop according to claim 8, wherein:

the clock circuit includes

a first logic gate coupled to receive the second switching signal, the normal clock, and the first switching signal that generates a first control signal that sets the master latching circuit and slave latching circuit as the positive flip-flop in the normal operation; and

a second logic gate coupled to receive the second switching signal, the normal clock, and the first switching signal that generates the first control signal that sets the master latching circuit and slave latching circuit as the negative flip-flop in the normal operation wherein

an output of the first logic gate is fixed to a predetermined logic value by the first switching signal when the master latching circuit and slave latching circuit are collectively set as the negative flip-flop and an output of the second logic gate is fixed to a predetermined logic value by the first switching signal when the master latching circuit and slave latching circuit are collectively set as the positive flip-flop.

13. The scan flip-flop according to claim 8, wherein:

the clock circuit is coupled to receive an externally applied third switching signal that sets the master latching circuit and slave latching circuit as the positive flip-flop irrespectively of the value of the first switching signal.

14. The scan flip-flop according to claim 8, wherein:

the slave latching circuit outputs the temporarily held data input in the master latching circuit in response to a rising edge of the normal clock when the master latching circuit and slave latching circuit operate as a positive flip-flop; and

the slave latching circuit outputs the temporarily held data input in the master latching circuit in response to a falling edge of the normal clock, when the master latching circuit and slave latching circuit operate as a negative flip-flop.

15. A semiconductor integrated circuit, comprising:

a scan flip-flop having a normal mode and a scan test mode, the scan flip-flop coupled to receive a normal data input, a scan data input, and a first clock signal and providing a normal data output and a scan data output;

a clock circuit coupled to receive a normal clock signal, a first control signal, and a scan test signal and providing the first clock signal;

the first control signal having a positive flip-flop logic level and a negative flip-flop logic level; and

the scan test signal having a scan test mode logic level and a normal mode logic level wherein

the scan flip-flop operates as a positive flip-flop when the first control signal has the positive flip-flop logic level and the scan test signal has the normal mode logic level and operates as a negative flip-flop when the first control signal has the negative flip-flop logic level and the scan test signal has the normal mode logic level.

16. The semiconductor integrated circuit, according to claim 15, wherein:

the scan flip-flop includes

a master latch coupled to receive the normal data input and the scan data input and providing a master latch output; and

a slave latch coupled to receive the master latch output and providing the normal data output and the scan data output.

17. The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 15, wherein:

the first clock signal has an inverse logic relationship with respect to the normal clock signal when the scan flip-flop operates as a negative flip-flop and a non-inverse logic relationship with respect to the normal clock signal when the scan flip-flop operates as a positive flip-flop.

18. The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 17, wherein:

the clock circuit provides a second clock signal to the scan flip-flop; and

the first and second clock signals are complementary.

19. The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 15, wherein:

the clock circuit is coupled to receive a second control signal having a first logic level and a second logic level; and

the scan flip-flop is set as a positive flip-flop irrespective of the first control signal when the second control signal has the first logic level.

20. The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 15, wherein:

the scan flip-flop is coupled to receive a first scan clock and a second scan clock and, when in the scan test mode, scan data input is loaded into the scan flip-flop in response to the first scan clock and scan data output is provided in response to the second scan clock.