Patent · US Expired

Semiconductor memory device with built-in test circuit and method for testing the same

US5148398A · kind A · utility

29Cited by
3References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJul 3, 1990
Grant dateSep 15, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 3, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C29/34
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A semiconductor memory device having a test mode function and a plurality of memory blocks each having memory cells arranged in a matrix and a method for testing the device. The device includes a unit for writing identical data in each memory cell of the plurality of memory blocks, a unit for simultaneously reading data of one bit from each of the plurality of memory blocks, a unit for detecting coincidence or non-coincidence of the read bits and outputting a result of the detection, and a unit for sequentially outputting the read bits one by one when the result is the non-coincidence. As a result, an address of a "failing" bit can be detected to facilitate a failure analysis, thereby reducing test time.

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