• ETRI Journal
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.520-534
• /
• 2004

As the density of memories increases, unwanted interference between cells and the coupling noise between bit-lines become significant, requiring parallel testing. Testing high-density memories for a high degree of fault coverage requires either a relatively large number of test vectors or a significant amount of additional test circuitry. This paper proposes a new tiling method and an efficient built-in self-test (BIST) algorithm for neighborhood pattern-sensitive faults (NPSFs) and new neighborhood bit-line sensitive faults (NBLSFs). Instead of the conventional five-cell and nine-cell physical neighborhood layouts to test memory cells, a four-cell layout is utilized. This four-cell layout needs smaller test vectors, provides easier hardware implementation, and is more appropriate for both NPSFs and NBLSFs detection. A CMOS column decoder and the parallel comparator proposed by P. Mazumder are modified to implement the test procedure. Consequently, these reduce the number of transistors used for a BIST circuit. Also, we present algorithm properties such as the capability to detect stuck-at faults, transition faults, conventional pattern-sensitive faults, and neighborhood bit-line sensitive faults.

• Journal of IKEEE
• /
• v.5 no.1 s.8
• /
• pp.43-51
• /
• 2001

As the density of memories increases, unwanted interference between cells and coupling noise between bit-lines are increased. And testing high-density memories for a high degree of fault coverage can require either a relatively large number of test vectors or a significant amount of additional test circuitry. So far, conventional test algorithms have focused on faults between neighborhood cells, not neighborhood bit-lines. In this paper, a new test algorithm for neighborhood bit-line sensitive faults (NBLSFs) based on the NPSFs(Neighborhood Pattern Sensitive Faults) is proposed. And the proposed algorithm does not require any additional circuit. Instead of the conventional five-cell or nine-cell physical neighborhood layouts to test memory cells, a three-cell layout which is minimum size for NBLSFs detection is used. Furthermore, to consider faults by maximum coupling noise by neighborhood bit-lines, we added refresh operation after write operation in the test procedure(i.e.,$write{\rightarrow}\;refresh{\rightarrow}\;read$). Also, we show that the proposed algorithm can detect stuck-at faults, transition faults, coupling faults, conventional pattern sensitive faults, and neighborhood bit-line sensitive faults.