Abstract: Some embodiments include a memory assembly having memory cells proximate a conductive source. Channel material extends along the memory cells and is electrically coupled with the conductive source. The conductive source is over an insulative material and includes an adhesion material directly against the insulative material. The adhesion material comprises one or more of metal, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon carbide, metal silicide, metal carbide, metal oxide, metal oxynitride and metal nitride. The conductive source includes metal-containing material over and directly against the adhesion material. The metal-containing material consists essentially of metal. The conductive source includes a metal-and-nitrogen-containing material over and directly against the metal-containing material, and includes a conductively-doped semiconductor material over the metal-and-nitrogen-containing material.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) includes a logic built-in self-test (LBIST) system that includes scan chains. The scan chains receive a clock signal and test pattern signals, and generate scan out signals. A debug controller receives the scan out signals and shifts a set of the scan out signals to a joint test action group (JTAG) controller. The debug controller also maintains a dynamic count indicative of the number of debug shift operations performed, and compares the dynamic count with a final count. If the dynamic count is less than the final count, the debug controller performs a second debug shift operation, which facilitates determination of a fault location in the IC.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices having interconnects incorporating negative expansion (NTE) materials are disclosed herein. In one embodiment a semiconductor device includes a substrate having an opening that extends at least partially through the substrate. A conductive material having a positive coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) partially fills the opening. A negative thermal expansion (NTE) having a negative CTE also partially fills the opening. In one embodiment, the conductive material includes copper and the NTE material includes zirconium tungstate.

Abstract: Methods of manufacturing semiconductor devices and semiconductor devices with through-substrate vias (TSVs). One embodiment of a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming an opening through a dielectric structure and at least a portion of a semiconductor substrate, and forming a dielectric liner material having a first portion lining the opening and a second portion on an outer surface of the dielectric structure laterally outside of the opening. The method further includes removing the conductive material such that the second portion of the dielectric liner material is exposed, and forming a damascene conductive line in the second portion of the dielectric liner material that is electrically coupled to the TSV.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) includes a logic built-in self-test (LBIST) system that includes scan chains. The scan chains receive a clock signal and test pattern signals, and generate scan out signals. A debug controller receives the scan out signals and shifts a set of the scan out signals to a joint test action group (JTAG) controller. The debug controller also maintains a dynamic count indicative of the number of debug shift operations performed, and compares the dynamic count with a final count. If the dynamic count is less than the final count, the debug controller performs a second debug shift operation, which facilitates determination of a fault location in the IC.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a scan chain, a clock divider circuit, and clock selection circuitry. The scan chain includes a plurality of dual edge flip flops, wherein each dual edge flip flop includes a data input, a scan input, a clock input, and data output. The clock divider circuit is coupled to receive a test clock and is configured to divide the test clock to provide a divided test clock. The clock selection circuitry has a first input coupled to receive the divided test clock, a second input coupled to receive a system clock, a control input coupled to receive a scan enable signal, and an output coupled to provide one of the divided test clock and the system clock as a clock signal to the clock inputs of the scan chain based on the scan enable signal.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) that is operable in scan test and functional modes includes scan-in pads, scan-out pads, scan chains, a compressor, a decompressor, a test control register, and a scan controller. The scan controller includes a multiple input shift register (MISR), an inverter, and multiple logic gates. The scan-in and scan-out pads receive scan test data and masking signals, respectively. The decompressor provides decompressed scan test data to the scan chains, which generate functional responses based on the decompressed scan test data. The compressor provides compressed functional responses to the scan controller. The logic gates receive the compressed functional responses and the masking signals from the compressor and the corresponding scan-out pads, respectively, and generate corresponding masked signals. The masking signals mask non-deterministic values in the decompressed functional responses. The MISR receives the masked signals and generates an error free signature.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC), operable in internal and external testing modes (INTEST and EXTEST), includes first and second partitions and a functional path therebetween. The first partition includes a first scan chain, a first multiplexer, and a first flip-flop. The second partition includes a second flip-flop and a second scan chain. The first scan chain generates an EXTEST vector initialization signal, based on an EXTEST scan input signal. The first multiplexer receives an INTEST vector initialization signal and the EXTEST vector initialization signal, and generates a scan input signal. The first flip-flop generates a first output signal based on the scan input signal. The functional path provides a second output signal based on the first output signal. The second flip-flop generates a third output signal based on the second output signal. The second scan chain receives the third output signal and generates a test output signal.

Abstract: Methods of manufacturing semiconductor devices and semiconductor devices with through-substrate vias (TSVs). One embodiment of a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming an opening through a dielectric structure and at least a portion of a semiconductor substrate, and forming a dielectric liner material having a first portion lining the opening and a second portion on an outer surface of the dielectric structure laterally outside of the opening. The method further includes removing the conductive material such that the second portion of the dielectric liner material is exposed, and forming a damascene conductive line in the second portion of the dielectric liner material that is electrically coupled to the TSV.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a scan chain, a clock divider circuit, and clock selection circuitry. The scan chain includes a plurality of dual edge flip flops, wherein each dual edge flip flop includes a data input, a scan input, a clock input, and data output. The clock divider circuit is coupled to receive a test clock and is configured to divide the test clock to provide a divided test clock. The clock selection circuitry has a first input coupled to receive the divided test clock, a second input coupled to receive a system clock, a control input coupled to receive a scan enable signal, and an output coupled to provide one of the divided test clock and the system clock as a clock signal to the clock inputs of the scan chain based on the scan enable signal.

Abstract: A method of forming a through-substrate via includes forming a through-substrate via opening at least partially through a substrate from one of opposing sides of the substrate. A first material is deposited to line and narrow the through-substrate via opening. The first material is etched to widen at least an elevationally outermost portion of the narrowed through-substrate via opening on the one side. After the etching, a conductive second material is deposited to fill the widened through-substrate via opening. Additional implementations are disclosed. Integrated circuit substrates are disclosed independent of method of manufacture.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) that is operable in scan test and functional modes includes scan-in pads, scan-out pads, scan chains, a compressor, a decompressor, a test control register, and a scan controller. The scan controller includes a multiple input shift register (MISR), an inverter, and multiple logic gates. The scan-in and scan-out pads receive scan test data and masking signals, respectively. The decompressor provides decompressed scan test data to the scan chains, which generate functional responses based on the decompressed scan test data. The compressor provides compressed functional responses to the scan controller. The logic gates receive the compressed functional responses and the masking signals from the compressor and the corresponding scan-out pads, respectively, and generate corresponding masked signals. The masking signals mask non-deterministic values in the decompressed functional responses. The MISR receives the masked signals and generates an error free signature.

Abstract: Methods of manufacturing semiconductor devices and semiconductor devices with through-substrate vias (TSVs). One embodiment of a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming an opening through a dielectric structure and at least a portion of a semiconductor substrate, and forming a dielectric liner material having a first portion lining the opening and a second portion on an outer surface of the dielectric structure laterally outside of the opening. The method further includes removing the conductive material such that the second portion of the dielectric liner material is exposed, and forming a damascene conductive line in the second portion of the dielectric liner material that is electrically coupled to the TSV.

Abstract: A processing system includes a clock generator circuit configured to receive a master clock signal and to output a plurality of clock signals, wherein the plurality of clock signals have a first frequency during a built-in self-test (BIST) mode and a plurality of shift-capture clock generator circuits. Each shift-capture clock generator circuit includes a clock gate circuit and a clock divider circuit and is configured to receive a corresponding one of the plurality of clock signals. At least one of the clock divider circuits changes the first frequency of the one of the plurality of clock signals to a second frequency during the BIST mode.

Abstract: An electronic design automation (EDA) tool for increasing the fault coverage of an integrated circuit (IC) design includes a processor that inserts at least one XOR gate, an AND gate, an OR gate and a multiplexer between observation test points and an existing first scan flip-flop of the IC design. The XOR gate provides an observation test signal to the first scan flip-flop by way of the AND gate, the OR gate, and the multiplexer such that the observation test signal covers the presence of faults at the observation test points. The first scan flip-flop outputs a data input signal, a set of test patterns, and a first set of test signals based on the observation test signal to indicate whether the IC design is faulty or not. A testable IC that can be structurally tested is fabricated using the IC design.

Abstract: A controller executes a first LBIST test on a device at a first shift frequency on a plurality of partitions and detects any voltage drop at sense points in each partition during the test. If a voltage drop is detected, then the test is re-run for those partitions that failed the first test. If failures are detected during the re-execution, then a further test at a lower shift frequency is performed. The partitions can be tested sequentially or in parallel and invention has the advantage of reducing the time taken for executing LBIST when the device is booted.

Abstract: A controller executes a first LBIST test on a device at a first shift frequency on a plurality of partitions and detects any voltage drop at sense points in each partition during the test. If a voltage drop is detected, then the test is re-run for those partitions that failed the first test. If failures are detected during the re-execution, then a further test at a lower shift frequency is performed. The partitions can be tested sequentially or in parallel and invention has the advantage of reducing the time taken for executing LBIST when the device is booted.

Abstract: A reset generation circuit of an integrated circuit uses a scan data input pin as a scan mode exit control, which is enabled only when the IC reset pin of the device is active. The reset generation circuit allows a TAP controller to be scan testable yet at the same time the circuit provides a method to exit scan mode without requiring a power-up sequence or an extra pin.

Abstract: A method of generating test patterns for testing a semiconductor processor for small delay defects (SDD) includes modifying interconnect delay values of interconnect paths by introducing values corresponding to (i) set-up and clock to Q delays of elements in the paths and (ii) latencies of associated clock networks. Critical nodes are selected and test patterns targeting the selected critical nodes are generated using timing slack resulting from the modified interconnect delays. A first selection of nodes that are critical in at-speed scan mode testing and a second selection of nodes that are critical in functional mode testing are made by static timing analysis (STA). Only the nodes featuring in both the first and second selections are selected for targeting small delay defects using at-speed scan test patterns.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices having interconnects incorporating negative expansion (NTE) materials are disclosed herein. In one embodiment a semiconductor device includes a substrate having an opening that extends at least partially through the substrate. A conductive material having a positive coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) partially fills the opening. A negative thermal expansion (NTE) having a negative CTE also partially fills the opening. In one embodiment, the conductive material includes copper and the NTE material includes zirconium tungstate.