System and method for testing and configuring semiconductor functional circuits

• US 8,775,997 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2004
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Diamond, Michael B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Sun J
• Application Number:
  US10/876,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20050278666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,667 Days
• Field of Search: 716/16, 716/17, 716/4, 716/1, 716/100, 716/116, 716/117, 716/132, 716/136
• US Class Current: 716/117
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31704 Design for test; Design verification concerning scan tests G01R31/318583; computer-aided design G06F30/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3185 Reconfiguring for testing, e.g. LSSD, partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/267 Reconfiguring circuits for testing, e.g. LSSD, partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/27 Built-in tests
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/22 Connection or disconnection of sub-entities or redundant parts of a device in response to a measurement testing and repair of stores after manufacture including at wafer scale G11C29/00; fuses per se H01L23/525
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

The present invention systems and methods enable configuration of functional components in integrated circuits. A present invention system and method can flexibly change the operational characteristics of functional components in an integrated circuit die based upon a variety of factors including manufacturing defects, compatibility characteristics, performance requirements, and system health (e.g., the number of components operating properly). Functional component operational behavior is tested and analyzed at various levels of configuration abstraction and component organization (e.g., topological inversion analysis). The testing and analysis can be performed in parallel on numerous functional components. Functional component configuration related information is presented in a graphical user interface (GUI) at various levels of granularity and in real time. The graphical user interface can facilitate user interaction in recognizing failure patterns, production test tuning and field configuration algorithm adjustment. The testing and analysis information can also be organized in a variety of convenient database formats.

Claims

1. A functional component configuration analysis process comprising:

analyzing functional component operational behavior, wherein said analyzing functional component operational behavior is performed in parallel for a plurality of functional components;

determining operational characteristic settings using a processor based upon results of said analyzing; and

configuring said plurality of functional components in accordance with said operational characteristic settings.

2. The functional component configuration analysis process of claim 1 wherein said analyzing functional component operational behavior includes topological inversion analysis.

3. The functional component configuration analysis process of claim 1 wherein said analyzing is performed at various levels of configuration abstraction and component organization.

4. The functional component configuration analysis process of claim 1 wherein said operational characteristic settings are determined at various levels of configuration abstraction and component organization.

5. The functional component configuration analysis process of claim 1 wherein said analyzing functional component operational behavior further comprises:

extracting testing information for said plurality of functional components at various functional component granularity and organization levels;

examining said testing information at various functional component granularity and organization levels;

establishing operational characteristic setting adjustments based on results of said examining; and

factoring said operational characteristic setting adjustments into said determining of operational characteristic settings.

6. The functional component configuration analysis process of claim 1 wherein said configuring said plurality of functional components in accordance with said operational characteristic settings comprises:

determining if an indicated functional component configuration alteration is valid;

directing alteration of a functional component configuration; and

diverting workflow in accordance with said alteration of said functional component configuration.

7. A functional component configuration system comprising:

a bus for communicating information and instructions;

a processor for processing said information and instructions, including information and instructions for performing a functional component configuration analysis process;

a memory for storing said information and instructions, including information and instructions for performing a functional component configuration analysis process; and

a display for displaying a graphical user interface presentation of said information and functional component configuration operational settings, including information associated with analysis of functional component operational behavior and determination of operational characteristic settings, wherein said graphical user interface presentation indicates a pass or fail status for functional component building blocks at various levels of granularity and in real time.

8. The functional component configuration analysis process of claim 7 wherein said graphical user interface presentation presents topological inversion information in a user friendly manner.

9. The functional component configuration analysis process of claim 7 wherein said graphical user interface presentation facilitates user interaction with various functional component operational behavior analysis and operational characteristic setting features.

10. The functional component configuration analysis process of claim 7 wherein said graphical user interface presentation facilitates user interaction in failing pattern recognition, production test tuning and field configuration algorithm adjustment.

11. A flexible integrated circuit testing method comprising:

preparing a plurality of integrated circuits for testing;

testing said plurality of integrated circuits; and

performing a functional component configuration process on said plurality of integrated circuits using a processor based upon results of said testing, wherein said testing and said functional component configuration process are performed in parallel on said plurality of integrated circuits.

12. The flexible integrated circuit testing method of claim 11 wherein said testing and said functional component configuration process are performed in an organized testing hierarchy.

13. The flexible integrated circuit testing method of claim 12 wherein said organized testing hierarchy includes various levels of functional component granularity and organization.

14. The flexible integrated circuit testing method of claim 13 wherein said organized testing hierarchy accommodates results directed to topological inversion analysis.

15. The flexible integrated circuit testing method of claim 11 wherein said testing is performed at a wafer probe stage.

16. The flexible integrated circuit testing method of claim 11 wherein said testing is performed at a final sort stage.

17. The flexible integrated circuit testing method of claim 11 wherein said testing and said functional component configuration process are performed in an engineering mode.

18. The flexible integrated circuit testing method of claim 11 wherein said testing and said functional component configuration process are performed in a production mode.

19. The flexible integrated circuit testing method of claim 11 wherein said testing includes a speed testing.

20. An integrated circuit comprising:

a plurality of functional components for performing processing operations;

a distribution component for distributing information to said plurality of functional components;

a functional component configuration controller for configuring operational characteristics of one or more of said plurality of functional components; and

a configuration communication interface for communicating information related to said operational characteristics of said one or more of said plurality of functional components to and from an external device, wherein said configuration communication interface communicates testing information to said external device and wherein said testing information and said functional component configuration information are communicated by said configuration communication interface at various levels of functional component granularity and organization.

21. The integrated circuit of claim 20 wherein said testing information includes topological inversion analysis information.

22. The integrated circuit of claim 20 wherein said testing information includes wafer probe stage information.

23. The integrated circuit of claim 20 wherein said testing information includes final sort stage information.

24. The integrated circuit of claim 20 wherein said configuration communication interface receives operational character setting information associated with failing pattern recognition, production test tuning and field configuration algorithm adjustment.

25. An external functional component coordination device comprising:

a testing module for generating test vectors for functional components;

a functional component operational setting module for determining operational settings for said functional components; and

a testing information organization module for organizing test information associated with said functional components.

26. The external functional component coordination device of claim 25 further comprising a global operation setting adjustment module for creating global operational setting adjustments for said functional components and providing information regarding said global operation setting adjustments to said functional component operational setting module for use in determining operational settings for said functional components.

27. The external functional component coordination device of claim 25 wherein said functional component operational setting module comprises a defective resolution module for determining if said functional components operational settings can be adjusted to salvage a die.

28. The external functional component coordination device of claim 25 wherein said test information is organized according to a hierarchical architecture of functional component granularity and organization.

29. The external functional component coordination device of claim 25 wherein said testing information includes wafer probe stage information and final sort stage information.

30. The external functional component coordination device of claim 25 wherein said operational character setting information includes information related to failing pattern recognition, production test tuning and field configuration algorithm adjustment.