Patent · US Expired

Method and circuit for setup and hold detect pass-fail test mode

US6904551B1 · kind B1 · utility

2Cited by
19References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 20, 2001
Grant dateJun 7, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 3, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C2029/3202
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and circuit thereof for performing setup and hold (SUAH) testing on integrated circuits including, but not limited to SRAM, utilizing a relatively low number of test vectors, obviating the conventional requirement of writing to and reading back from each and every memory address. In one embodiment, a first test data signal of all zeros (0) is inputted to the input stage of the SRAM under test, and a subsequent second data signal of all ones (1) follows. In one embodiment, XOR/XNOR gates detect differences in data signals between the inputs and outputs of input stage latches/registers after clocking. In one embodiment, detected differences are combined into an error signal in combinational logic. In one embodiment, error signals are exported serially to a test system by a scan chain. Alternatively, in another embodiment, error signals are exported in parallel via individual output drivers.

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