Semiconductor Memories


Book Description

Semiconductor Memories provides in-depth coverage in the areas of design for testing, fault tolerance, failure modes and mechanisms, and screening and qualification methods including. * Memory cell structures and fabrication technologies. * Application-specific memories and architectures. * Memory design, fault modeling and test algorithms, limitations, and trade-offs. * Space environment, radiation hardening process and design techniques, and radiation testing. * Memory stacks and multichip modules for gigabyte storage.




Testing Semiconductor Memories


Book Description

Comprehensive coverage of memory test problems at chip, array and board level is provided in this book. For each of these test levels a class of fault models is introduced along with tests for these models. The author also presents algorithms of relevant fault models, together with proofs of their correctness. Special attention is given to why a fault model belongs to a particular class and why it is of interest. A software package, suitable for use on IBM PCs and compatibles, is also available which consists of a set of memory test programs and a simulation package demonstrating how the algorithms are executed and the relationship of the algorithm with the memory




High Performance Memory Testing


Book Description

Are memory applications more critical than they have been in the past? Yes, but even more critical is the number of designs and the sheer number of bits on each design. It is assured that catastrophes, which were avoided in the past because memories were small, will easily occur if the design and test engineers do not do their jobs very carefully. High Performance Memory Testing: Design Principles, Fault Modeling and Self Test is based on the author's 20 years of experience in memory design, memory reliability development and memory self test. High Performance Memory Testing: Design Principles, Fault Modeling and Self Test is written for the professional and the researcher to help them understand the memories that are being tested.




Testing Static Random Access Memories


Book Description

Testing Static Random Access Memories covers testing of one of the important semiconductor memories types; it addresses testing of static random access memories (SRAMs), both single-port and multi-port. It contributes to the technical acknowledge needed by those involved in memory testing, engineers and researchers. The book begins with outlining the most popular SRAMs architectures. Then, the description of realistic fault models, based on defect injection and SPICE simulation, are introduced. Thereafter, high quality and low cost test patterns, as well as test strategies for single-port, two-port and any p-port SRAMs are presented, together with some preliminary test results showing the importance of the new tests in reducing DPM level. The impact of the port restrictions (e.g., read-only ports) on the fault models, tests, and test strategies is also discussed. Features: -Fault primitive based analysis of memory faults, -A complete framework of and classification memory faults, -A systematic way to develop optimal and high quality memory test algorithms, -A systematic way to develop test patterns for any multi-port SRAM, -Challenges and trends in embedded memory testing.




VLSI Test Principles and Architectures


Book Description

This book is a comprehensive guide to new DFT methods that will show the readers how to design a testable and quality product, drive down test cost, improve product quality and yield, and speed up time-to-market and time-to-volume. - Most up-to-date coverage of design for testability. - Coverage of industry practices commonly found in commercial DFT tools but not discussed in other books. - Numerous, practical examples in each chapter illustrating basic VLSI test principles and DFT architectures.




Essentials of Electronic Testing for Digital, Memory and Mixed-Signal VLSI Circuits


Book Description

The modern electronic testing has a forty year history. Test professionals hold some fairly large conferences and numerous workshops, have a journal, and there are over one hundred books on testing. Still, a full course on testing is offered only at a few universities, mostly by professors who have a research interest in this area. Apparently, most professors would not have taken a course on electronic testing when they were students. Other than the computer engineering curriculum being too crowded, the major reason cited for the absence of a course on electronic testing is the lack of a suitable textbook. For VLSI the foundation was provided by semiconductor device techn- ogy, circuit design, and electronic testing. In a computer engineering curriculum, therefore, it is necessary that foundations should be taught before applications. The field of VLSI has expanded to systems-on-a-chip, which include digital, memory, and mixed-signalsubsystems. To our knowledge this is the first textbook to cover all three types of electronic circuits. We have written this textbook for an undergraduate “foundations” course on electronic testing. Obviously, it is too voluminous for a one-semester course and a teacher will have to select from the topics. We did not restrict such freedom because the selection may depend upon the individual expertise and interests. Besides, there is merit in having a larger book that will retain its usefulness for the owner even after the completion of the course. With equal tenacity, we address the needs of three other groups of readers.




Semiconductor Memories


Book Description

"This [...] handbook gives a complete overview to the design, manufacture, and application of semiconductor memory technology.[...] The move towards application-specific memories and the new developments in memory applications, including smart memories, computers and networks, are explored. The author also details the new trends in memory architecture and functionality, such as multiplexing, video memory architecture and error correction. For embedded memories, there is an explanation of the advantages and disadvantages, testing methods and reliability. Detailed consideration is given to future trends in memories - VLSI technology ; commodity memories ; smart cards ; smart houses ; CIM ; speech synthesis and recognition ; RISC architecture ; neural processors and superconductors." (source : 4ème de couv.)




System-on-Chip Test Architectures


Book Description

Modern electronics testing has a legacy of more than 40 years. The introduction of new technologies, especially nanometer technologies with 90nm or smaller geometry, has allowed the semiconductor industry to keep pace with the increased performance-capacity demands from consumers. As a result, semiconductor test costs have been growing steadily and typically amount to 40% of today's overall product cost. This book is a comprehensive guide to new VLSI Testing and Design-for-Testability techniques that will allow students, researchers, DFT practitioners, and VLSI designers to master quickly System-on-Chip Test architectures, for test debug and diagnosis of digital, memory, and analog/mixed-signal designs. - Emphasizes VLSI Test principles and Design for Testability architectures, with numerous illustrations/examples. - Most up-to-date coverage available, including Fault Tolerance, Low-Power Testing, Defect and Error Tolerance, Network-on-Chip (NOC) Testing, Software-Based Self-Testing, FPGA Testing, MEMS Testing, and System-In-Package (SIP) Testing, which are not yet available in any testing book. - Covers the entire spectrum of VLSI testing and DFT architectures, from digital and analog, to memory circuits, and fault diagnosis and self-repair from digital to memory circuits. - Discusses future nanotechnology test trends and challenges facing the nanometer design era; promising nanotechnology test techniques, including Quantum-Dots, Cellular Automata, Carbon-Nanotubes, and Hybrid Semiconductor/Nanowire/Molecular Computing. - Practical problems at the end of each chapter for students.




Principles of Semiconductor Network Testing


Book Description

Principles of Semiconductor Network Testing gathers together comprehensive information which test and process professionals will find invaluable. The techniques outlined will help ensure that test methods and data collected reflect actual device performance, rather than 'testing the tester' or being lost in the noise floor. This book addresses the fundamental issues underlying the semiconductor test discipline. The test engineer must understand the basic principles of semiconductor fabrication and process and have an in-depth knowledge of circuit functions, instrumentation and noise sources. - Introduces a novel component-testing philosophy for semiconductor test, product and design engineers - Best new source of information for experienced semiconductor engineers as well as entry-level personnel - Eight chapters about semiconductor testing




Testing and Testable Design of High-Density Random-Access Memories


Book Description

"It is not in the interest of business leaders to turn public schools into vocational schools. We can teach [students] how to be marketing people. We can teach them how to manage balance sheets," stated Louis V. Gerstner Jr. of IBM at the recent Education Summit meeting in New York. He continued, "What is killing us is having to teach them to read and to compute and to communicate and to think." (TIME, April 8, 1996, page 40). The last sentence is most significant because it sets requirements for educa tion and hence gives the specification for a textbook. The textbook should contain all the necessary scientific information that the reader will need to practice the art in the technological world. In addition to the scientific detail, illustrative examples are necessary. The book should teach science without restricting creativity, and it should prepare the student for solving problems never encountered before. In pursuing our goal of advancing the frontiers of test technology, we must cover applications, education, and research. This is the first textbook in the "Frontiers" series. Semiconductor memories represent the frontier of VLSI in more ways than one. First, memories have always used more aggressive physical design rules and higher densities than other VLSI chips, thus advancing the semiconductor technology. Second, the availability of low-cost memory chips makes numerous software applications possible by fueling the demand for all types of chips.