Patents by Inventor Bernhard Ruf

Bernhard Ruf has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6618303
    Abstract: An electronic circuit in an integrated circuit having memory cells is described. The circuit permits information to be written to particular memory cells only once, so that subsequent writing to the particular memory cells is blocked. The circuit is used in a test structure for integrated circuits on a wafer. A method for testing integrated circuits on a wafer that are connected to a test apparatus is also described. Once the supply voltage to a first circuit to be tested has been turned on, a preliminary test is carried out to ascertain parameters that need to be set. The supply voltage is then applied to a next circuit to be tested, a preliminary test is carried out, and memory cells have information written to them, until the parameters have been set for all the connected circuits to be tested. The test apparatus then carries out the actual operational test in parallel for all the connected circuits to be tested.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Arndt Gruber, Ralf Schneider, Bernhard Ruf, Norbert Wirth
  • Publication number: 20020020854
    Abstract: An electronic circuit in an integrated circuit having memory cells is described. The circuit permits information to be written to particular memory cells only once, so that subsequent writing to the particular memory cells is blocked. The circuit is used in a test structure for integrated circuits on a wafer. A method for testing integrated circuits on a wafer that are connected to a test apparatus is also described. Once the supply voltage to a first circuit to be tested has been turned on, a preliminary test is carried out to ascertain parameters that need to be set. The supply voltage is then applied to a next circuit to be tested, a preliminary test is carried out, and memory cells have information written to them, until the parameters have been set for all the connected circuits to be tested. The test apparatus then carries out the actual operational test in parallel for all the connected circuits to be tested.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2001
    Publication date: February 21, 2002
    Inventors: Arndt Gruber, Ralf Schneider, Bernhard Ruf, Norbert Wirth