Abstract: The invention creates a method for connection of circuit units (101a-10n) which are arranged on a wafer (100), in which the wafer (100) is fitted to a first film (102a), the wafer (100) is sawn such that the circuit units (101a-101n) which are arranged on the wafer (100) are separated, the functional circuit units (101d) are picked up by means of a handling device (101) and are placed down on a second film (102b) by means of the handling device (103), so as to produce a separation distance which can be predetermined between connection contacts of the circuit units (101d).

Abstract: An electronic component assembly is disclosed. The electronic component assembly may comprise a printed circuit board, a frame secured to the printed circuit board and one or more electronic components mounted in the frame and arranged in electrical contact with conductive traces of the printed circuit board, wherein no solder is used to connect the electronic components to the printed circuit board. A method for assembling the electronic component assembly is also disclosed.

Abstract: A process for producing a component module comprising a module carrier and a plurality of components with which contact is made on the latter, comprising the following steps:

Abstract: A memory is provided having an array of rows and columns of memory cells. The memory includes plurality of sense amplifiers, each one having a true terminal and a compliment terminal. The memory also includes a plurality of pairs of twisted bit lines, each one of the pairs of lines being coupled to true and compliment terminals of a corresponding one of the plurality of sense amplifiers. A plurality of word lines is provided, each one being connected to a corresponding one of the rows of memory cells. An address logic section is fed by column address signals, fed to the bit lines, and row address signals, fed to the word lines, for producing invert/non-invert signals in accordance with the fed row and column address signals. The memory includes a plurality of inverters each one being coupled to a corresponding one of the sense amplifiers for inverting data fed to or read from the sense amplifier selectively in accordance with the invert/non-invert signals produced by the address logic.

Abstract: A semiconductor component that is suitable for wafer level packaging contains a plurality of contact elements that are elevated relative to a main body of the semiconductor component. Some of the contact elements are needed only for purposes of testing on the wafer level and should not be subsequently accessible from outside. For this purpose, the semiconductor component contains an insulating layer that covers the elevated contact elements that are provided for testing purposes but leaves the remaining contact elements uncovered. In this way, inadvertent activating of test functions on the chip is effectively prevented by simple measures, for instance by inserting only one additional fabrication step.

Abstract: A method of attaching semiconductor devices, the contact devices of which have preferably already been applied at wafer level, on a switching device and such a device includes having the electrical contacts remain free of solder by using flexible contact elements, and performing the mechanical attachment by additional attachment elements or compression stops used as attachment elements.

Abstract: Circuitry using fuse and anti-fuse latches (62) for selecting the number of input/output channels (98, 109) after encapsulation is disclosed. The various embodiments allow conventional bond pads (14, 16, 18) to be used for initial selection of the number of input/output channels prior to encapsulation. However, by providing different selection signals (52, 54), the number of input/output channels may be changed by the user at any time after encapsulation. Other embodiments employ “enable” latch circuits (133,135) allow the initial selection by the users at any time after encapsulation, and then at least one more subsequent selection.

Abstract: A method of recording test information to identify a location of errors in Integrated Circuits (ICs) includes scanning a plurality of ICs with an input signal, each IC having a plurality of data locations and comparing an output response at each data location with an expected value for the data location. The method also includes storing an address in a buffer for each data location where the response at the data location does not equal the expected value corresponding to the data location.

Abstract: A test socket for a semiconductor device includes a guide plate operable to receive the semiconductor device and to maintain electrical terminals of the semiconductor device in registration with electrical terminals of a base. a shell operable to couple to the base and to maintain the guide plate in registration with the electrical terminals of the base, the shell including an aperture in communication with the base through which the guide plate can be inserted and removed when the shell is coupled to the base; and at least one fastener coupled to the shell and operable to maintain the semiconductor device in engagement with the guide plate and to urge the electrical terminals of the semiconductor device in contact with the electrical terminals of the base. A method for operating the test socket is also disclosed.

Abstract: For a selection of semiconductor chips stacked on top of one another, the invention includes leading through selection contact points of one chip on a rear side thereof and connecting them to corresponding selection contact points of the other semiconductor chip. Programmable input amplifiers are programmed to be transmissive or blocking through fuses/antifuses so that selection signals applied to the selection contact points either activate or block functional elements only of one or only of the other semiconductor chip. As a result, simple stacking of identically prefabricated semiconductor chips is made possible.

Abstract: An electronic component assembly is disclosed. The electronic component assembly may comprise a printed circuit board, a frame secured to the printed circuit board and one or more electronic components mounted in the frame and arranged in electrical contact with conductive traces of the printed circuit board, wherein no solder is used to connect the electronic components to the printed circuit board. A method for assembling the electronic component assembly is also disclosed.

Abstract: Assessing the burn-in of faulty memory units on a wafer includes detecting only those defective memory cells that lie along control lines in the case of which the total number of defective memory cells does not exceed a predetermined limit value. With such a quality criterion, it is also possible to monitor the burn-in of faulty memory units on a wafer.

Abstract: In a semiconductor chip, conductive tracks run in a rewiring layer from contact pads to contact elevations. The contact pads are formed as vias. The conductive tracks are constructed in sections as bottom electrodes of trimming capacitors. The top electrode of the trimming capacitors is formed by a metal plane of the rewiring layer.

Abstract: In order to test, in parallel, semiconductor chips formed on a wafer, functionally identical contact points of the semiconductor chips are connected to column lines, and the rows of the semiconductor chips are selected by selection signal lines. This method is suitable in particular for checking electrically conductive connections between contact points of the semiconductor chips and mating contacts of a test head.

Abstract: A novel DRAM refresh method and system and a novel method of designing a low-power leakage monitoring device. With the DRAM refresh method, the time is adjusted based directly on the cell leakage condition. The method of designing a low-power leakage monitoring devices uses a memory cell identical to the cells in the real array. This monitor cell is designed so that it will represent the average cell or the worst cell leakage condition. If the leakage is severe, the refresh cycle time is significantly reduced, or halved. If the leakage level is very low or undetectable, then the refresh cycle time is significantly increased, or doubled. If the leakage is moderate, or in the normal range, the refresh time is optimized, so that the power consumption used for DRAM refresh is minimized.

Abstract: A novel DRAM refresh method and system and a novel method of designing a low-power leakage monitoring device. With the DRAM refresh method, the refresh cycle time is adjusted based directly on the cell leakage condition. The method of designing a low-power leakage monitoring devices uses a memory cell identical to the cells in the real array. This monitor cell is designed so that it will represent the average cell or the worst cell leakage condition. If the leakage is severe, the refresh cycle time is significantly reduced, or halved. If the leakage level is very low or undetectable, then the refresh cycle time is significantly increased, or doubled. If the leakage is moderate, or in the normal range, the refresh time is optimized, so that the power consumption used for DRAM refresh is minimized.

Abstract: A circuit for programming electrical fuses, in accordance with the present invention, includes a shift register including a plurality of latches. Each latch has a corresponding switch and a corresponding electrical fuse. A bit generator generates a single bit of a first state and all other bits of a second state. The bit generator propagates the generated bits into the shift register in accordance with a clock signal. Each switch enables conduction through the corresponding electrical fuse in accordance with the generated bits stored in the corresponding latch. A blow voltage line connects to the electrical fuses. The blow voltage line is activated to blow fuses in accordance with programming data such that the electrical fuses are programmed in accordance with the programming data when the single bit of the first state is stored in the latch corresponding to the fuse to be programmed.

Abstract: A semiconductor circuit is provided including circuitry for producing a pulse. A plurality, n, of delay elements are provided each enabled and disabled in parallel by the pulse. Each delay element is adapted to transmit the pulse from an input to an output, with the pulse reaching the respective outputs at different times. A plurality, n−1, of detectors is provided each having an input coupled to an input of a corresponding delay element. Each detector is adapted to set a state of its output to a predetermined state, from a plurality of states, in response to receiving a portion of the pulse. The outputs of the detectors are coupled to output pins of the semiconductor circuit. A tester is provided that is adapted to couple to the semiconductor output pins and detect the state of the detector outputs.

Abstract: A pointer generation circuit, in accordance with the invention, includes a clock for providing a clock cycle, and a shift register with a plurality of latches for storing data bits. A first latch receives a flag bit upon a first clock cycle of the clock. A switch transfers the flag bit to the shift register on the first clock cycle. The switch connects a last latch to the first latch after the flag bit is transferred to the shift register. The flag bit is transferred to a next latch, wherein the next latch for the last latch is the first latch, at each consecutive clock cycle thereby generating pointer signals in accordance with the clock cycle and the data bits stored in the latches.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory chip, in accordance with the present invention, includes a memory array including memory components to be tested. A pattern generator provides reference data to be input to and stored in the memory array. A comparator is formed on the memory chip for comparing the reference data from the pattern generator and the stored data from the memory array. The comparator further includes logic circuitry for comparing the reference data to the stored data from the memory array to provide a compare result having a matched state if the stored data matches the reference data and otherwise an unmatched state. A plurality of latches are included for receiving the compare result from the logic circuitry, the latches having a first state associated with the matched state wherein the first state is altered to a second state if the unmatched state is received from the logic circuitry.