Abstract: A system and method is discussed for providing programmable test conditions for a built-in self test circuit of a flash memory device. The present invention employs a flash memory having BIST circuit for testing the memory and a BIST interface circuit adapted to adjust the test conditions of the memory tests. The BIST interface circuit is operable to receive one or more global variables associated with the test conditions of a plurality of tests used on the flash memory and to output results of the memory tests based on the value of the variables. The global variables are used to adjust the test conditions and to trim one or more references used in various flash memory tests and operations. The system may further include a serial communications medium for communicating the global variables to the BIST interface and test results from the interface.

Abstract: Methods of performing a sector erase of flash memory devices incorporating built-in self test circuitry are provided. The present invention employs an interactive verification and sector erase algorithm to verify and repeatedly erase the sector until a portion of the groups of each page of the sector are erased or a first maximum number of erase pulses is achieved. The algorithm further includes a word verification and erase operation that sequentially verifies and erases each word of the sector until each word is erased or a second maximum number of erase pulses is achieved. The second maximum number of erase pulses may be based on a function of the first maximum number of erase pulses. The second maximum number of erase pulses may be input to the sector erase algorithm as a multi-bit code. The second maximum number of erase pulses and conversion of the multi-bit code may be based on a binary multiple of the first maximum number of erase pulses.

Abstract: A method is discussed for providing programmable test conditions for a built-in self test circuit of a flash memory device. The method comprises providing a BIST interface adapted to adjust a test condition used in a BIST circuit, providing the memory cells of the Flash memory device, and providing the BIST circuit adapted to test the flash memory. The method further comprises communicating with the BIST interface one or more global variables associated with the test condition, adjusting the test condition used by the BIST circuit based on the values represented by the global variables, performing one or more test operations on the flash memory in accordance with the adjusted test condition, and reporting the results of the memory test operations. The method of the present invention may further include a serial communications medium and the use of a serial test protocol for communicating the global variables to the BIST interface and test results from the interface.

Abstract: A method of reading data in and outputting data from a memory structure includes a buffer. In the present method, first read operation is undertaken to read a first set of data in the memory structure and provide data of the first set of data to the buffer, using an output clock. A first output operation is undertaken providing data read in the first read operation from the buffer, and a second read operation is undertaken to read a second set of data in the memory structure and provide data of the second set of data to the buffer, using the output clock. A second output operation is undertaken providing data read in the second read operation from the buffer.

Abstract: In a method and system for diagnosing a back-end state machine used for testing flash memory cells fabricated on a semiconductor substrate, a signal selector and a diagnostic matching logic are fabricated on the semiconductor substrate. The diagnostic matching logic sets a generated match output to a pass or fail state depending on control variables from the back-end state machine. The signal selector selects the generated match output to be used in a verify step of a BIST (built-in-self-test) mode, if a diagnostic mode is invoked. The back-end state machine performs a plurality of BIST modes with the generated match output, for testing the functionality of the back-end state machine.

Abstract: An address sequencer is fabricated on a semiconductor substrate having flash memory cells fabricated thereon for sequencing through the flash memory cells during BIST (built-in-self-test) of the flash memory cells. The address sequencer includes an address sequencer control logic and address sequencer buffers fabricated on the semiconductor substrate. The address sequencer buffers generate a plurality of bits indicating an address of the flash memory cells. The address sequencer control logic controls the buffers to sequence through a respective sequence of bit patterns for each of a plurality of BIST modes.

Abstract: A memory device and a method for compensating for a load current in the memory device. The memory device includes a plurality of I/O buffers where each I/O buffer includes an I/O write-buffer driver circuit. The I/O write-buffer driver circuit is coupled to a load current compensation circuit. Although each I/O buffer includes an I/O write-buffer circuit, a single load current compensation circuit may be coupled to several I/O write-buffer driver circuits. The load current compensation circuit generates a load compensation current for each I/O buffer circuit that is not being programmed. The load compensation current increases the load current so that a drain-side programming voltage (VPROG) drives a substantially constant load current, wherein the drain-side programming voltage is substantially independent of the number of bits being programmed.

Abstract: A memory device and a method for refreshing the memory device. The memory device includes a memory cell capable of storing two bits of data. One bit is referred to as the normal data bit and the other bit is referred to as the complementary data bit. Each memory cell has an associated dynamic reference cell. The normal data is refreshed by latching refresh data into a data latch and ORing the latched data with input data. The refresh data is written to the corresponding memory location. The data for the complementary data bit is refreshed by latching complementary data bit refresh data into the complementary data latches and writing to the memory cell. The normal and complementary data bits are refreshed before each read operation.

Abstract: In a method and system for providing a CAM (content addressable memory) cell of a flash memory device, a respective core flash memory cell to be used as the CAM cell is fabricated as part of a core array of the flash memory device. In addition, the respective core flash memory cell is accessed from the core array as the CAM cell for a CAM function within the flash memory device. Components used for supporting operation of the core array are also used for accessing the core flash memory cells of the additional sector for such CAM functionality. Thus, CAM functionality is provided with a minimized number of components and with minimized area of the die of the flash memory device. In addition, because the CAM cells are implemented as core flash memory cells of the core array, the CAM cells may reliably undergo more numerous programming and erasing cycles.

Abstract: A method for erasing a flash memory. In a flash memory device having multiple sectors a plurality of sectors is selected for erase (810). a subset of sectors is selected (815) and an erase pulse is applied simultaneously to all sectors in the subset (820). After the application of an erase pulse having an initial voltage value, at least one sector of the subset is verified (825). If there is at least one unerased cell in the verified sector, the erase voltage is adjusted (830) and another erase pulse is applied to the subset of sectors (820). The adjustment of the erase voltage may be a function of the number of times that an erase pulse has been applied to the subset. This cycle is repeated on the subset until the selected sector is verified as erased. After a sector is verified, the erase/verify cycle is applied to one or more of the remaining sectors in the subset until each of the remaining sectors has been verified as erased.

Abstract: A method of implementing a reference current measurement mode within a reference array programming mode or a reference array erase mode in a semiconductor chip is disclosed. This implementation leads to significant reduction in testing time for the semiconductor chip, increasing production volume and revenues.

Abstract: For generating a margining voltage for biasing a gate of a CAM (content addressable memory) cell of a flash memory device fabricated on a semiconductor wafer, a high voltage source is provided with a voltage generator fabricated on the semiconductor wafer. A low voltage source is provided from a node coupled to the voltage generator fabricated on the semiconductor wafer. For example, the voltage generator for providing the high voltage source includes a voltage regulator and a charge pump fabricated on the semiconductor wafer, and the low voltage source is the ground node. In addition, a first transistor is coupled to the high voltage source, and a second transistor is coupled to the low voltage source. A first resistor is coupled between the first transistor and an output node, and a second resistor coupled between the second transistor and the output node. The margining voltage is generated at the output node.

Abstract: In a BIST (built-in-self-test) interface, a serial shift register, fabricated on the semiconductor die having an array of core flash memory cells fabricated thereon, inputs test type data from an external test system via first IO1 and second IO2 pins, during a first state. A test type decoder, fabricated on the semiconductor die, decodes the test type data to determine whether a built-in-self-test mode is invoked by the external test system. A third portion of the serial shift register serially inputs test mode data from the external test system via the first IO1 pin, and the test mode data defines a set of desired test modes to be performed on the array of core flash memory cells. A front-end state machine, fabricated on the semiconductor die, decodes the test mode data to determine an order for performing the desired test modes.

Abstract: In a method and system for monitoring erase pulses applied on a sector of flash memory cells fabricated on a semiconductor substrate, a pulse counter and a pulse counter controller are fabricated on the semiconductor substrate. The pulse counter controller inputs a maximum number and outputs an indication of a sector fail if the flash memory cells of the sector do not pass erase verification with less than the maximum number of erase pulses applied on the sector during an erase verify BIST (Built-in-Self-Test) mode. In one example, the maximum number is a percentage of a diagonal total number of erase pulses needed to be applied on the sector until each flash memory cell at a diagonal location of the sector passes erase verification.

Abstract: In a method and system for repairing defective flash memory cells fabricated on a semiconductor substrate, a repair controller and a plurality of voltage sources are fabricated on the semiconductor substrate. The repair controller controls the voltage sources to apply programming voltages on respective CAM (content addressable memory) flash memory cells in a JUICE state for replacing the defective flash memory cells with a corresponding redundancy element of flash memory cells. In addition, a FAILREP logic is fabricated on the semiconductor substrate for entering a HANG state if no redundancy element of flash memory cells is available or if the defective flash memory cells have been previously repaired.