Method, apparatus and system for voltage screening of integrated circuits
First Claim
1. A method of testing an integrated circuit having a first circuit block and a second circuit block, the first circuit block having at least one specified supply voltage for operation, and the second circuit block having at least one specified supply voltage for operation, the method comprising:
- selecting first and second supply voltages, at least one of which diverges from and is selected substantially independently of one of the specified supply voltages associated with the integrated circuit;
applying the first supply voltage to the first circuit block and the second supply voltage to the second circuit block, so that at least one of the first and second circuit blocks is provided with other than its specified supply voltage;
exercising the integrated circuit according to a selected screening test, the screening test having predetermined screening criteria indicating the quality of the results; and
,comparing the observed results of exercising the circuit to the predetermined criteria so as to enable determination of certain reliability characteristics for the circuit.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method, apparatus and system for cost-effectively quantifying the likelihood of operational reliability problems includes a supply voltage configuration circuit and a test mode generation circuit. The test mode generation circuit and supply voltage configuration circuit, operating together in a test mode, provide selected supply voltages to selected circuit blocks of an integrated circuit. In non-test operation, the test mode generation circuit and the supply voltage configuration circuit are transparent to the operation of the tested integrated circuit.
30 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A method of testing an integrated circuit having a first circuit block and a second circuit block, the first circuit block having at least one specified supply voltage for operation, and the second circuit block having at least one specified supply voltage for operation, the method comprising:
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selecting first and second supply voltages, at least one of which diverges from and is selected substantially independently of one of the specified supply voltages associated with the integrated circuit; applying the first supply voltage to the first circuit block and the second supply voltage to the second circuit block, so that at least one of the first and second circuit blocks is provided with other than its specified supply voltage; exercising the integrated circuit according to a selected screening test, the screening test having predetermined screening criteria indicating the quality of the results; and
,comparing the observed results of exercising the circuit to the predetermined criteria so as to enable determination of certain reliability characteristics for the circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of field testing an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit being incorporated in a system and having a first circuit block and a second circuit block, the first circuit block having at least one specified supply voltage for operation, and the second circuit block having at least one specified supply voltage for operation, the method comprising:
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selecting first and second supply voltages, at least one of which diverges from and is selected substantially independently of one of the specified supply voltages associated with the integrated circuit; applying the first supply voltage to the first circuit block and the second supply voltage to the second circuit block, so that at least one of the first and second circuit blocks is provided with other than its specified supply voltage; exercising the integrated circuit according to a selected screening test, the screening test having predetermined screening criteria indicating the quality of the results; comparing the observed results of exercising the integrated circuit to the predetermined criteria so as to enable determination of certain reliability characteristics for the circuit; and initiating, in response to a result indicating reliability issues, responsive procedures. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of testing a semiconductor memory device, the semiconductor memory device having a memory array and peripheral circuitry, the memory array having at least one specified supply voltage and the peripheral circuitry having at least one specified supply voltage, each specified supply voltage being associated with at least one voltage supply node of the respective memory array and peripheral circuitry, the method comprising:
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selecting a first supply voltage that is lower than the specified supply voltage associated with at least one voltage supply node of the semiconductor memory device; applying the first supply voltage to said at least one voltage supply node; exercising the memory array according to a selected screening test, the screening test having predetermined screening criteria indicating the quality of the results; observing the results of exercising the memory array; and comparing the observed results to the predetermined criteria so as to enable determination of certain reliability characteristics for the semiconductor memory device. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An integrated circuit, the circuit supporting a screening mode and an operating mode, the circuit comprising:
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a first circuit block, the first circuit block having at least one specified supply voltage associated with the operating mode; a supply voltage configuration circuit coupled to the first circuit block so as to enable, in screening mode, selective provision to the first circuit block of at least one selected supply voltage that diverges from and is substantially independent of at least one of the specified supply voltages of the first circuit block. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A system, the system supporting a screening mode and an operating mode, the system comprising:
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a plurality of electrically interconnected integrated circuits, the circuits comprising a first circuit block and a supply voltage configuration circuit associated with the first circuit block; the first circuit block having a specified supply voltage associated with the operating mode; and the supply voltage configuration circuit coupled to the first circuit block so as to enable, in screening mode, selective provision to the first circuit block of at least one selected supply voltage that diverges from and is substantially independent of the first circuit block'"'"'s specified supply voltage. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
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Specification