On-chip usable life depletion meter and associated method

• US 9,791,502 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2015
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Inventors: Bickford, Jeanne P., Habib, Nazmul, Li, Baozhen, Wilder, Tad J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Merant, Guerrier
• Application Number:
  US14/700,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20160320214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2856 Internal circuit aspects, e.g. built-in test features; Test chips; Measuring material aspects, e.g. electro migration [EM]
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2884 using dedicated test connectors, test elements or test circuits on the IC under test G01R31/2855 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/349 Arrangements for evaluating degradation, retention or wearout, e.g. by counting erase cycles
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 17/16 using electrically-fusible links
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 17/18 Auxiliary circuits, e.g. for writing into memory
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/04 with means for avoiding disturbances due to temperature effects

Abstract

Disclosed is an integrated circuit (IC) chip having an on-chip usable life depletion meter. This meter incorporates programmable bits, which represent units of usable life. These programmable bits are sequentially ordered from an initial programmable bit to a last programmable bit and are automatically programmed in order, as the expected usable life of the IC chip is depleted. These programmable bits are readable to determine the remaining usable life of the IC chip. Also disclosed is a method that uses the on-chip usable life depletion meter. In the method, the remaining usable life of an IC chip, once known, is used either as the basis for allowing re-use of the IC chip (e.g., for a non-critical application and when the remaining usable life is sufficient) or as the basis for preventing re-use of the IC chip (e.g., for a critical application or when the remaining usable life is insufficient).

Claims

1. An integrated circuit chip comprising:

a substrate;

a usable life depletion meter on said substrate,

said usable life depletion meter comprising multiple first programmable bits,

said first programmable bits representing units of usable life of said integrated circuit chip,

said first programmable bits being sequentially ordered from an initial programmable bit to a last programmable bit,

said first programmable bits being automatically programmed, during operation of said integrated circuit chip, in order starting with said initial programmable bit as an expected usable life of said integrated circuit chip is depleted,

said first programmable bits being readable to determine a remaining usable life of said integrated circuit chip, and

each unit of usable life represented by each first programmable bit corresponding to a specific number of power-on hours;

a power-on hours monitor measuring actual power-on hours of said integrated circuit chip;

a read/write circuit; and

a read/write circuit controller in communication with said power-on hours monitor and said read/write circuit,

said read/write circuit controller noting whenever said actual power-on hours have increased by said specific number of power-on hours and, in response, automatically causing said read/write circuit to program a next programmable bit in said usable life depletion meter.

2. The integrated circuit chip of claim 1, said first programmable bits comprising any of fuses and anti-fuses.

3. The integrated circuit chip of claim 1, further comprising a second programmable bit being either programmed to indicate, when read, that said integrated circuit chip has been mounted on a printed circuit board or unprogrammed to indicate, when read, that said integrated circuit chip has never been mounted on any printed circuit board.

4. The integrated circuit chip of claim 1, further comprising a third programmable bit being either programmed to indicate, when read, that said integrated circuit chip failed to meet an absolute performance threshold for use or unprogrammed to indicate, when read, that said integrated circuit chip has not failed to meet said absolute performance threshold for use.

5. The integrated circuit chip of claim 1, further comprising fourth programmable bits being either programmed to indicate, when read, identification information associated with a recycler responsible for recycling said integrated circuit chip or unprogrammed.

6. An integrated circuit chip comprising:

a substrate;

a usable life depletion meter on said substrate,

said usable life depletion meter comprising multiple first programmable bits,

said first programmable bits representing units of usable life of said integrated circuit chip, each unit of usable life represented by each first programmable bit corresponding to a specific number of power-on hours at a nominal operating voltage and a nominal operating temperature,

said first programmable bits being sequentially ordered from an initial programmable bit to a last programmable bit,

said first programmable bit being automatically programmed, during operation of said integrated circuit chip, in order starting with said initial programmable bit as an expected usable life of said integrated circuit chip is depleted, and

said first programmable bits being readable to determine a remaining usable life of said integrated circuit chip;

a power-on hours monitor measuring actual power-on hours of said integrated circuit chip;

a voltage monitor monitoring actual operating voltage of said integrated circuit chip;

a temperature monitor monitoring actual operating temperature of said integrated circuit chip;

a read/write circuit; and

a read/write circuit controller in communication with said power-on hours monitor, said voltage monitor, said temperature monitor and said read/write circuit,

said read/write circuit controller noting whenever, given any differences between said actual operating voltage and said nominal operating voltage and between said actual operating temperature and said nominal operating temperature, said actual power-on hours have increased by an amount equivalent to said specific number of power-on hours at said nominal operating voltage and said nominal operating temperature and, in response, automatically causing said read/write circuit to program a next programmable bit in said usable life depletion meter.

7. The integrated circuit chip of claim 6, said first programmable bits comprising any of fuses and anti-fuses.

8. The integrated circuit chip of claim 7, further comprising a second programmable bit being either programmed to indicate, when read, that said integrated circuit chip has been mounted on a printed circuit board or unprogrammed to indicate, when read, that said integrated circuit chip has never been mounted on any printed circuit board.

9. The integrated circuit chip of claim 7, further comprising a third programmable bit being either programmed to indicate, when read, that said integrated circuit chip failed to meet an absolute performance threshold for use or unprogrammed to indicate, when read, that said integrated circuit chip has not failed to meet said absolute performance threshold for use.

10. The integrated circuit chip of claim 7, further comprising fourth programmable bits being either programmed to indicate, when read, identification information associated with a recycler responsible for recycling said integrated circuit chip or unprogrammed.

11. A method comprising:

mounting an integrated circuit chip onto a printed circuit board, said integrated circuit chip comprising;

a substrate and a usable life depletion meter on said substrate,

said usable life depletion meter comprising multiple first programmable bits,

said first programmable bits representing units of usable life of said integrated circuit chip and being sequentially ordered from an initial programmable bit to a last programmable bit; and

,

during operation of said integrated circuit chip, automatically programming said first programmable bits in order starting with said initial programmable bit as an expected usable life of said integrated circuit chip is depleted,

said integrated circuit chip further comprising a second programmable bit and said method further comprising, after said mounting of said integrated circuit chip on said printed circuit board, performing the following;

reading said second programmable bit to determine whether said integrated circuit chip was previously mounted on a different printed circuit board;

when said integrated circuit chip was previously mounted on said different printed circuit board, determining whether re-use of said integrated circuit chip on said printed circuit board is allowable based on specifications for re-using integrated circuit chips; and

,

when said re-use of said integrated circuit chip is allowable, reading said first programmable bits to determine a remaining usable life of said integrated circuit chip and only allowing said re-use when said remaining usable life is sufficient based on said specifications.

12. The method of claim 11, said first programmable bits comprising any of fuses and anti-fuses.

13. The method of claim 11, said integrated circuit chip comprising a third programmable bit and said method further comprising, after said mounting of said integrated circuit chip on said printed circuit board, performing the following:

reading said third programmable bit to determine whether said integrated circuit chip has failed to meet an absolute performance threshold for use; and

,

when said integrated circuit chip has failed to meet said absolute performance threshold for use, scrapping said integrated circuit chip.

14. The method of claim 11, said integrated circuit chip further comprising fourth programmable bits and said method further comprising, when said integrated circuit chip was previously mounted on said different printed circuit board, further performing the following:

reading said fourth programmable bits to identify a recycler responsible for recycling said integrated circuit chip; and

,

determining whether said recycler is an authorized recycler based on said specifications.

15. The method of claim 11,

each unit of usable life represented by each first programmable bit corresponding to a specific number of power-on hours,

said method further comprising measuring actual power-on hours of said integrated circuit chip, and

said programming of said first programmable bits in said order comprising:

noting whenever said actual power-on hours have increased by said specific number of power-on hours; and

,

in response, programming a next programmable bit in said usable life depletion meter.

16. The method of claim 11,

each unit of usable life represented by each first programmable bit corresponding to a specific number of power-on hours at a nominal operating voltage and a nominal operating temperature,

said method further comprising:

measuring actual power-on hours of said integrated circuit chip;

monitoring actual operating voltage of said integrated circuit chip; and

,

monitoring actual operating temperature of said integrated circuit chip, and said programming of said first programmable bits in said order comprising;

noting whenever, given any differences between said actual operating voltage and said nominal operating voltage and between said actual operating temperature and said nominal operating temperature, said actual power-on hours have increased by an amount equivalent to said specific number of power-on hours at said nominal operating voltage and said nominal operating temperature, and

in response, programming a next programmable bit in said usable life depletion meter.