Patent · US Expired

Method for the testing of electrically programmable memory cells, and corresponding integrated circuit

US4958324A · kind A · utility

33Cited by
14References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateNov 9, 1988
Grant dateSep 18, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 9, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C2029/5006
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for testing electrically programmable memories is disclosed. To enable the measurement of the current of programmed cells and blank cells (and not only to check whether the cells are programmed or not), and to enable this measurement even after the memory has been encapsulated in a package, it is proposed herein to connect, in testing mode, the bit line of a cell to be tested with the programming terminals to which there is applied, in programming mode, the programming high voltage Vpp. A low voltage Vte is applied to this terminal in testing mode, and the current flowing between this terminal and the voltage source is measured. This current is the current of the tested cell.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.