Monitor TEG test circuit

• US 6,239,603 B1
• Filed: 06/23/1999
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Aoyagi, Hiroshi, Ukei, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): KARLSEN, ERNEST F
• Application Number:
  US09/338,436
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 324/763, 324/765, 324/73.1, 324/158.1, 714/733, 714/734, 257/48
• US Class Current: 324/750.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/30 Marginal testing, e.g. by varying supply voltage testing computers during standby operation or idle time G06F11/22

Abstract

Monitor TEGs (Test Element Groups) for extracting the effects of process variations within a semiconductor chip and a test circuit therefor are provided to allow the monitor TEGs to be tested after package sealing. A plurality of monitor TEGs and a control circuit for selectively enabling the monitor TEGs are formed on the same chip as a semiconductor device is formed. The monitor TEGs are placed in selected positions in the chip and selectively monitored via test signals, thereby implementing process parameter monitoring by means of the device parameter variations within the finished chip. The external terminals of the semiconductor device are configured such that they are programmed via enable signals to serve as input/output terminals of the test signals, keeping the number of the external terminals of the semiconductor device from increasing for the testing purpose.

Claims

1. A test circuit for a plurality of monitor test element groups (TEGs), which are formed on a semiconductor chip together with a semiconductor device and placed in selected positions scattered in the chip, wherein the test circuit selectively tests the monitor TEGs to thereby monitor variations in process parameters within the chip, the test circuit comprising:

a TEG control circuit responsive to externally applied test signals T₀ and T₁ to T_n for outputting control signals G₁ to G_n to control the monitor TEGs, respectively; and

at least one data output terminal of the semiconductor device which is diverted by an enable signal to an input terminal for one of the test signals T₀ to T_n,

wherein the at least one data output terminal of the semiconductor device is connected to an input of the TEG control circuit.

2. The test circuit according to claim 1, wherein at least one of external terminals of the semiconductor device is used in common as an input/output terminal of the test circuit, and the external terminals of the semiconductor device which are used to input and output data are programmed by test signals to serve as input/output terminals of the test circuit.

3. A test circuit for n, where n is an integer greater than one, monitor test element groups (TEGs), which are formed on the same chip as a semiconductor device is formed and placed in selected positions in the chip, wherein the test circuit selectively tests the monitor TEGs to thereby monitor variations in process parameters within the chip and each of the monitor TEGs consists of a ring oscillator, the test circuit comprising:

a TEG control circuit responsive to externally applied test signals T₀ and T₁ to T_n for outputting control signals G₁ to G_n to control the number n of monitor TEGs, respectively;

an n-input NOR gate or n-input OR gate responsive to outputs A₁ to A_n of the monitor TBGs for outputting one of the outputs A₁ to A_n of the monitor TEGs;

at least one data output terminal of the semiconductor device which is diverted by an enable signal to an input terminal for one of the test signals T₀ to T_n; and

a data output terminal of the semiconductor device which is diverted by an enable signal to an output terminal for the output of the n-input NOR or OR gate,

wherein the at least one data output terminal of the semiconductor device is connected to an input of the TEG control circuit,

outputs of the TEG control circuit for outputting the control signals G₁ to G_n are connected to the inputs of the monitor TEGs, respectively, and

the output of the n-input NOR or OR gate is connected to the data output terminal of the semiconductor device.

4. The test circuit according to claim 3, wherein the ring oscillator has a two-input NOR gate to receive a corresponding one of the control signals G₁ to G_n.

5. The test circuit according to claim 3, wherein the test signal T₀ is used in common as the enable signals.

6. The test circuit according to claim 3, wherein the TEG control circuit comprises n two-input NAND gates each having an input the connected to receive the test signal T₀ and another input thereof connected to receive a respective one of the test signals T₁ to T_n, and

the n two-input NAND gates provide a respective one of the control signals G₁ to G_n.

7. A test circuit for n, where n is an integer greater than one, monitor test element groups (TEGs), which are formed on the same chip as a semiconductor device is formed and placed in selected positions in the chip, wherein the test circuit selectively tests the monitor TEGs to thereby monitor variations in process parameters within the chip and each of the monitor TEGs consists of three-terminal elements having first, second and third terminals, the test circuit comprising:

a TEG control circuit responsive to externally applied test signals T₀ and T₁ to T_n for outputting control signals G₁ to G_n to control the n number of monitor TEGs, respectively;

a first external terminal for inputting first input data to the semiconductor device via a buffer circuit;

a second external terminal for inputting second input data to the semiconductor device via a buffer circuit; and

at least one data output terminal of the semiconductor device which is diverted by an enable signal to an input terminal for one of the test signals T₀ and T₁ to T_n,

wherein the at least one data output terminal of the semiconductor device is connected to an input of the TEG control circuit, and

the three-terminal element in each of the monitor TEGs has the first terminal thereof connected to the first external terminal, the second terminal thereof connected to the second external terminal and the third terminal thereof connected to receive a corresponding one of the control signals G₁ to G_n from the TEG control circuit.

8. The test circuit according to claim 7, wherein the three-terminal element is a MOS transistor, and the first, second and third terminals of the three-terminal element are the source, drain, and gate, respectively, of the MOS transistor.

9. The test circuit according to claim 7, wherein the test signal T₀ is used as the enable signal.

10. The test circuit according to claim 7, wherein the TEG control circuit comprises n partial circuits connected in parallel, each of which comprises first and second MOS transistors and one inverter,

each of the partial circuits has a first input connected to receive the test signal T₀ at the source of the corresponding first MOS transistor, a second input connected to receive a respective one of the test signals T₁ to T_n at the input of the corresponding inverter, and an output connected in common to the drains of the corresponding first and second MOS transistors for providing a corresponding one of the output signals G₁ to G_n, and

the second MOS transistor has a gate thereof connected to the output of the corresponding inverter and a source thereof connected to a reference voltage.