Method and apparatus for stress testing a semiconductor memory

• US 5,848,017 A
• Filed: 09/30/1997
• Issued: 12/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Bissey, Lucien J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tuan T.
• Application Number:
  US08/940,310
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 365/201, 365/202, 365/214, 365/190, 365/182, 365/149, 365/205
• US Class Current: 365/201
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/401 forming cells needing refreshing or charge regeneration, i.e. dynamic cells
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/4091 Sense or sense/refresh amplifiers, or associated sense circuitry, e.g. for coupled bit-line precharging, equalising or isolating
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2207/002 Isolation gates, i.e. gates coupling bit lines to the sense amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/28 Dependent multiple arrays, e.g. multi-bit arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/34 Accessing multiple bits simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/50 Marginal testing, e.g. race, voltage or current testing
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/06 Sense amplifiers; Associated circuits , e.g. timing or triggering circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/1051 Data output circuits, e.g. read-out amplifiers, data output buffers, data output registers, data output level conversion circuits

Abstract

Circuitry stress tests a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) by connecting a sense amplifier of the DRAM to at least two pairs of complementary bitlines within the same sub-array of the DRAM through two pairs of isolation transistors activated at substantially the same time. The circuitry thus provides for the stress testing of memory cells associated with sense amplifiers connected to only one sub-array within a DRAM or other semiconductor memory. The apparatus also provides an alternative to conventional methods for stress testing memory cells associated with sense amplifiers connected to more than one sub-array within a DRAM or other semiconductor memory.

Claims

1. An apparatus for stress testing a semiconductor memory having a sense amplifier coupled to one of a plurality of pairs of complementary bitlines within a memory sub-array of the semiconductor memory through a pair of isolation switches, the apparatus comprising:

another pair of isolation switches for switchably coupling the sense amplifier to another one of the pairs of complementary bitlines in the memory sub-array; and

circuitry coupled to both pairs of isolation switches for activating the switches at substantially the same time during a stress test of the semiconductor memory.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the other pair of isolation switches comprises a pair of NMOS transistors.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the activating circuitry comprises a plurality of MOS transistors.

4. A semiconductor memory comprising:

a memory sub-array;

a plurality of pairs of complementary bitlines coupled to the memory sub-array;

a sense amplifier;

a pair of isolation switches coupled between the sense amplifier and one of the pairs of complementary bitlines;

another pair of isolation switches coupled between the sense amplifier and another one of the pairs of complementary bitlines; and

circuitry coupled to both pairs of isolation switches for activating the switches at substantially the same time during a stress test of the semiconductor memory.

5. The semiconductor memory of claim 4 wherein the memory sub-array comprises a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) array.

6. The semiconductor memory of claim 4, further comprising a plurality of other sub-arrays, wherein the sense amplifier is not coupled to bitlines in any of the other sub-arrays.

7. The semiconductor memory of claim 4 wherein both pairs of isolation switches comprise NMOS transistors.

8. The semiconductor memory of claim 4 wherein the activating circuitry comprises a plurality of MOS transistors.

9. An electronic system comprising an input device, an output device, a memory device, and a processor device coupled to the input, output, and memory devices, at least one of the input, output, memory, and processor devices including a semiconductor memory comprising:

a memory sub-array;

a plurality of pairs of complementary bitlines coupled to the memory sub-array;

a sense amplifier;

a pair of isolation switches coupled between the sense amplifier and one of the pairs of complementary bitlines;

another pair of isolation switches coupled between the sense amplifier and another one of the pairs of complementary bitlines; and

circuitry coupled to both pairs of isolation switches for activating the switches at substantially the same time during a stress test of the semiconductor memory.

10. The electronic system of claim 9 wherein the memory device comprises a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) device.

11. The electronic system of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of other sub-arrays, wherein the sense amplifier is not coupled to bitlines in any of the other sub-arrays.

12. The electronic system of claim 9 wherein both pairs of isolation switches comprise NMOS transistors.

13. The electronic system of claim 9 wherein the activating circuitry comprises a plurality of MOS transistors.

14. A semiconductor wafer on which is fabricated a semiconductor memory comprising:

a memory sub-array;

a plurality of pairs of complementary bitlines coupled to the memory sub-array;

a sense amplifier;

a pair of isolation switches coupled between the sense amplifier and one of the pairs of complementary bitlines;

another pair of isolation switches coupled between the sense amplifier and another one of the pairs of complementary bitlines; and

circuitry coupled to both pairs of isolation switches for activating the switches at substantially the same time during a stress test of the semiconductor memory.

19. The semiconductor wafer of claim 14, wherein the semiconductor memory further comprises a plurality of other sub-arrays, wherein the sense amplifier is not coupled to bitlines in any of the other sub-arrays.

15. A Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) device comprising:

a DRAM sub-array;

a plurality of pairs of complementary bitlines coupled to the DRAM sub-array;

a plurality of sense amplifiers;

a pair of isolation switches coupled between one of the sense amplifiers and one of the pairs of complementary bitlines;

another pair of isolation switches coupled between the one of the sense amplifiers and another one of the pairs of complementary bitlines; and

circuitry coupled to both pairs of isolation switches for activating the switches at substantially the same time during a stress test of the DRAM device.

16. The DRAM device of claim 15 wherein the pairs of isolation switches comprise NMOS transistors.

20. The DRAM device of claim 15, further comprising a plurality of other sub-arrays, wherein the one of the sense amplifiers is not coupled to bitlines in any of the other sub-arrays.

17. A method of stress testing a semiconductor memory, the method comprising switchably coupling a sense amplifier of the semiconductor memory to at least two pairs of complementary bitlines in the same memory sub-array of the semiconductor memory at substantially the same time during a stress test of the semiconductor memory.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the act of switchably coupling comprises activating at least two pairs of isolation NMOS transistors coupled between the sense amplifier and the pairs of complementary bitlines.