Method for producing test program for semiconductor device

• US 5,901,154 A
• Filed: 06/12/1997
• Issued: 05/04/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Akihiko, Maekawa, Michio, Hirase, Junichi, Motohama, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Iqbal, Nadeem
• Application Number:
  US08/873,688
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 371/22.1, 371/28, 371/27.1, 371/22.33, 371/22.6, 371/27.4, 395/183.14, 395/183.02, 395/183.22, 395/708, 395/181, 395/183.13, 395/185.04, 364/488, 364/489, 364/490, 364/550, 364/579, 364/580
• US Class Current: 714/724
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318307 computer-aided, e.g. automatic test program generator [ATPG], program translations, test program debugging
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/319 Tester hardware, i.e. output processing circuits

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for reducing the time required to test the functions of a semiconductor device. Test modules, each having a plurality of test statements, are created for testing predetermined functions of the device. Common test statements are extracted from the test modules. A test program is then produced by sequentially arranging the extracted statement(s) and the remaining statements from the test modules.

Claims

1. A method for producing a test program for a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of test items in an original order, each test item including a plurality of test statements;

first extracting from each of said plurality of test items a first test statement which is common to each of said plurality of test items; and

making a test program by sequentially arranging the first test statement and a remainder of non-extracted test statements in a predetermined order.

2. The method for producing a test program for a semiconductor device of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

second extracting from each of said plurality of test items a second test statement which is common to each of said plurality of test items wherein the second extracted test statement is different from the first extracted test statement.

7. The method for producing a test program for a semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein:

said steps of first extracting and making a test program are performed by a processor.

8. The method for producing a test program for a semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein:

said predetermined order includes the following;

first, said first extracted test statement and then a remainder of non-extracted test statements in the original order within said test items.

9. The method of producing a test program for a semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein:

said original order of said test items is based on device reject rates.

11. The method of producing a test program for a semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of test items has a first number of test statements,

the test program has a second number of test statements, and

the first number is greater than the second number.

12. The method of producing a test program for a semiconductor device of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

running said test program.

3. A method for producing a test program for a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of test items in an original order, each test item including a plurality of test statements;

first grouping test items which contain a first common test statement into a first group;

first extracting said first common test statement from each of said test items in said first group; and

making a test program by sequentially arranging said first common test statement, a remainder of non-extracted test statements in said first group, and test statements from test items not in said first group in a predetermined order.

4. The method for producing a test program for a semiconductor device of claim 3 further comprising the steps of:

determining if each of said first grouping test items contain a second common test statement;

second extracting said second common test statement from each of said first grouping test items.

10. The method for producing a test program for a semiconductor device of claim 3, wherein:

said predetermined order includes the following;

first, said first common test statement;

second, a remainder of non-extracted test statements in said first group in the original order within said test items; and

third, the test statements from test items not in said first group in the original order within said test items.

13. The method for producing a test program for a semiconductor device of claim 3, wherein:

the plurality of test items has a first number of test statements, the test program has a second number of test statements, and the first number is greater than the second number.

14. The method of producing a test program for a semiconductor device of claim 3 further comprising the steps of:

running the first extracted test statement within said test program, and

running the remainder of non-extracted test statements.

5. A method for producing a test program for a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of test items in an original order, each test item including a plurality of test statements;

extracting from each of said plurality of test items a first test statement which is common to each of said plurality of test items; and

making a test program by sequentially arranging the first test statement and a remainder of non-extracted test statements in a predetermined order.

15. The method of producing a test program for a semiconductor device of claim 5, wherein:

the plurality of test items has a first number of test statements,

the test program has a second number of test statements, and

the first number is greater than the second number.

16. The method of producing a test program for a semiconductor device of claim 5 further comprising the step of:

running said test program.

6. A method for producing a test program for a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of test items in an original order, each test items including a plurality of test statements;

grouping test items which contain a first common test statement into a first group;

extracting said first common test statement from each of said test items in said first group; and

making a test program by sequentially arranging said first common test statement, a remainder of non-extracted test statements in said first group, and test statements from test items not in said first group in a predetermined order.

17. The method of producing a test program for a semiconductor device of claim 6, wherein:

the plurality of test items has a first number of test statements,

the test program has a second number of test statements, and

the first number is greater than the second number.

18. The method of producing a test program for a semiconductor device of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

running the first extracted test statement within said test program, and

running the remainder of non-extracted test statements.