Abstract: A method for protecting an integrated circuit against reverse engineering including predefining a secret bit, forming a first clocked memory element having a first data input, a first data output and a first clock input in the integrated circuit, forming a second clocked memory element having a second data input, a second data output and a second clock input in the integrated circuit, forming a logic path in the integrated circuit and coupling the first data output to the second data input via the logic path and forming a clock signal line in the integrated circuit and coupling the first clock input to the second clock input via the clock signal line.

Abstract: A bit generation circuit having a plurality of signal chains, where for each chain, a first input of an input multiplexer is connected to another of the signal chains and the multiplexer is configured so that, if a control signal indicating a normal operating mode is fed to the multiplexer, the multiplexer connects the first input to the path input of the signal chain. The second input of each multiplexer is connected to the output of a bit generation trigger circuit and, for each signal chain, the multiplexer is configured so that, if a control signal indicating a secret generation mode is fed to the multiplexer, it connects the second input to the path input of the signal chain. The bit generation circuit furthermore comprises an arbiter circuit connected to the path outputs of at least two signal chains and configured to output a secret bit depending on their states.

Abstract: A semiconductor device including a carrier having two main surfaces situated opposite one another, a circuit, having at least one resistance element, in and/or on the carrier, wherein the at least one resistance element has a longitudinal axis extending vertically between the main surfaces of the carrier, and a current limiting circuit configured to limit a current flowing through the resistance element to a value at which it is ensured that an electrical resistance of the resistance element remains substantially unchanged.

Abstract: A memory arrangement having a memory cell field with columns and rows of writable memory cells, a memory controller which is configured to initiate an access to a first group of memory cells of a row of memory cells and, together with the access to the first group of memory cells, to initiate a read access to a second group of memory cells of the row of memory cells, and a verification circuit which is configured to check whether the access to the first group of memory cells has been performed on the correct row of memory cells on the basis of whether values read during the read access to the second group of memory cells match values previously stored by the second group of memory cells.

Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, a method for accessing a memory is provided, including carrying out a first access to the memory and charging, for a memory cell, a bit line coupled to the memory cell to a value which is stored or to be stored in the memory cell, holding the state of the bit line until a second access, which follows the first access, and outputting the held state if the second access is a read access to the memory cell.

Abstract: A memory arrangement having a memory cell field with columns and rows of writable memory cells, a memory controller which is configured to initiate an access to a first group of memory cells of a row of memory cells and, together with the access to the first group of memory cells, to initiate a read access to a second group of memory cells of the row of memory cells, and a verification circuit which is configured to check whether the access to the first group of memory cells has been performed on the correct row of memory cells on the basis of whether values read during the read access to the second group of memory cells match values previously stored by the second group of memory cells.

Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, a method for accessing a memory is provided, including carrying out a first access to the memory and charging, for a memory cell, a bit line coupled to the memory cell to a value which is stored or to be stored in the memory cell, holding the state of the bit line until a second access, which follows the first access, and outputting the held state if the second access is a read access to the memory cell.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an identification circuit. The identification circuit includes a memory cell which includes a first transistor having a first value of a switching characteristic and a second transistor having a second value of the switching characteristic. The identification circuit is operable to generate a memory-cell-specific identification bit which is dependent on production-dictated differences in the first switching characteristic of the first transistor and the second switching characteristic of the second transistor. The identification circuit further includes a drive circuit for the memory cell. The drive circuit is operable to connect or isolate an upper supply potential and a lower supply potential of the semiconductor device to or from the memory cell independently of one another.

Abstract: Rather than merely carrying out a BIST test by verifying whether a memory cell accurately stores a “1” or “0” under normal read/write conditions, aspects of the present discloser relate to BIST tests that test the read and/or write margins of a cell. During this BIST testing, the read and/or write margins can be incrementally stressed until a failure point is determined for the cell. In this way, “weak” memory cells in an array can be identified and appropriate action can be taken, if necessary, to deal with these weak cells.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to improved reliability verification techniques for semiconductor memories. Rather than merely carrying out a BIST test by verifying whether a memory cell accurately stores a “1” or “0” under normal read/write conditions, aspects of the present invention relate to BIST tests that test the read and/or write margins of a cell. During this BIST testing, the read and/or write margins can be incrementally stressed until a failure point is determined for the cell. In this way, “weak” memory cells in an array can be identified and appropriate action can be taken, if necessary, to deal with these weak cells.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an identification circuit. The identification circuit includes a memory cell which includes a first transistor having a first value of a switching characteristic and a second transistor having a second value of the switching characteristic. The identification circuit is operable to generate a memory-cell-specific identification bit which is dependent on production-dictated differences in the first switching characteristic of the first transistor and the second switching characteristic of the second transistor. The identification circuit further includes a drive circuit for the memory cell. The drive circuit is operable to connect or isolate an upper supply potential and a lower supply potential of the semiconductor device to or from the memory cell independently of one another.

Abstract: A carry-ripple adder has four summing inputs for receiving four input bits having the significance w that are to be summed, three carry inputs for receiving three input carry bits having the significance w, a summation output for outputting an output summation bit having the significance w, and three carry outputs for outputting three output carry bits having the significance 2w.

Abstract: The invention relates to an adder for adding at least four bits of the same significance w, said adder having a first number of inputs for receiving the bits of the same significance w that are to be added and a number of outputs, the bits to be added being applied to the inputs in presorted form, and the adder adding the bits while taking account of the presorting. The invention also provides an adding device for adding at least four bits of equal significance and a corresponding method.

Abstract: A carry-ripple adder having inputs for supplying three input bits of equal significance 2n that are to be summed and two carry bits of equal significance 2n+1 that are also to be summed. A calculated sum bit of significance 2n and two calculated carry bits of equal significance 2n+1 which are higher than the significance 2n of the sum bit are provided at outputs. A final carry-ripple stage VMA may be used even after a reduction to three bits.

Abstract: A carry-ripple adder has four summing inputs for receiving four input bits having the significance w that are to be summed, three carry inputs for receiving three input carry bits having the significance w, a summation output for outputting an output summation bit having the significance w, and three carry outputs for outputting three output carry bits having the significance 2 w.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a content addressable memory cell having a first memory cell which is electrically connected to a comparator unit. The comparator unit is constructed from at least eight transistors, at least four transistors being arranged in a first circuit part and at least four transistors being arranged in a second circuit part and each of the circuit parts having at least two circuit branches.

Abstract: A carry ripple adder contains five first inputs for accepting five input bits having equal significance w that are to be summed and two second inputs for accepting two carry bits having the significance w. It also contains an output for a sum bit having the significance w and two outputs for two carry bits having the significances 2w and 4w.

Abstract: The invention relates to an adder for adding at least four bits of the same significance w, said adder having a first number of inputs for receiving the bits of the same significance w that are to be added and a number of outputs, the bits to be added being applied to the inputs in presorted form, and the adder adding the bits while taking account of the presorting. The invention also provides an adding device for adding at least four bits of equal significance and a corresponding method.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a content addressable memory cell having a first memory cell which is electrically connected to a comparator unit. The comparator unit is constructed from at least eight transistors, at least four transistors being arranged in a first circuit part and at least four transistors being arranged in a second circuit part and each of the circuit parts having at least two circuit branches.

Abstract: A carry-save adder for adding bits of the same weight comprises six inputs (I0, I1, . . . , I5) for receiving six bits of in each case the same weight w, to be added. The adder has an output (S) for a sum bit of weight w and two outputs (C0, C1) for two carry bits of weights 2w and 4w.