Patents by Inventor Michael L. Combs

Michael L. Combs 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: 7222274
    Abstract: A method of testing and repairing an integrated circuit having a total number of fuses for effecting repair of the integrated circuit. The method including: testing a memory array with a set of tests and reserving a first number of the total number of fuses for use in repairing the memory array based on results of the first set of tests; and shmoo testing the memory array by incrementing, decrementing or incrementing and decrementing values of a test parameter until a minimum or maximum value of the test parameter is reached that utilizes a second number of the total number of fuses for use in repairing the memory array to operate at the minimum or maximum value of the test parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael L. Combs, Dale B. Grosch, Toshiharu Saitoh, Guy M. Vanzo
  • Patent number: 7010733
    Abstract: A method for reducing Pin Count Test design and test that allows parametric test patterns for high pin count ASICs to be applied using low pin count testers. The same boundary scan structure used to isolate the test of internal logic to a small number of test I/O is also used to apply parametric external I/O tests to the ASIC's functional I/O. The parametric tests are banked into pin groups and applied on the same low pin count tester used for the internal logic tests.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert W. Bassett, Garrett S Christensen, Michael L. Combs, L. Owen Farnsworth, Pamela S. Gillis
  • Patent number: 6931346
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for testing the chip-to-package connectivity of a common I/O of a semiconductor chip is disclosed which uses reduced pin count testing methods. The method includes driving a test signal transition onto a control pad of a semiconductor chip with a weak driver and comparing the transition rise time with a threshold value. For an I/O with a faulty chip-to-package connection, the rise time is much faster than for an I/O with a completed chip-to-package connection. Additional impedances may also be added to the tester fixturing to increase the sensitivity of the test equipment to the capacitance of the I/O connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael L. Combs, Donald L. Wheater
  • Publication number: 20040153276
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for testing the chip-to-package connectivity of a common I/O of a semiconductor chip is disclosed which uses reduced pin count testing methods. The method includes driving a test signal transition onto a control pad of a semiconductor chip with a weak driver and comparing the transition rise time with a threshold value. For an I/O with a faulty chip-to-package connection, the rise time is much faster than for an I/O with a completed chip-to-package connection. Additional impedances may also be added to the tester fixturing to increase the sensitivity of the test equipment to the capacitance of the I/O connections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2003
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Inventors: Michael L. Combs, Donald L. Wheater
  • Patent number: 6724210
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for testing the chip-to-package connectivity of a common I/O of a semiconductor chip is disclosed which uses reduced pin count testing methods. The method includes driving a test signal transition onto a control pad of a semiconductor chip with a weak driver and comparing the transition rise time with a threshold value. For an I/O with a faulty chip-to-package connection, the rise time is much faster than for an I/O with a completed chip-to-package connection. Additional impedances may also be added to the tester fixturing to increase the sensitivity of the test equipment to the capacitance of the I/O connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael L. Combs, Donald L. Wheater
  • Publication number: 20040073856
    Abstract: A method for reducing Pin Count Test design and test that allows parametric test patterns for high pin count ASICs to be applied using low pin count testers. The same boundary scan structure used to isolate the test of internal logic to a small number of test I/O is also used to apply parametric external I/O tests to the ASIC's functional I/O. The parametric tests are banked into pin groups and applied on the same low pin count tester used for the internal logic tests.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2002
    Publication date: April 15, 2004
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert W. Bassett, Garrett S. Christensen, Michael L. Combs, L. Owen Farnsworth, Pamela S. Gillis
  • Publication number: 20030038650
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for testing the chip-to-package connectivity of a common I/O of a semiconductor chip is disclosed which uses reduced pin count testing methods. The method includes driving a test signal transition onto a control pad of a semiconductor chip with a weak driver and comparing the transition rise time with a threshold value. For an I/O with a faulty chip-to-package connection, the rise time is much faster than for an I/O with a completed chip-to-package connection. Additional impedances may also be added to the tester fixturing to increase the sensitivity of the test equipment to the capacitance of the I/O connections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2001
    Publication date: February 27, 2003
    Inventors: Michael L. Combs, Donald L. Wheater
  • Patent number: 5127011
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for controlling an operation of a test pin of a per-pin semiconductor device test system [10]. The apparatus includes pattern storage memory [42] for storing and for outputting information related to a state of the test pin for individual ones of a plurality of consecutive test cycles, pattern processor [14] having an input coupled to the pattern storage memory for generating for each of the test cycles words comprised of M bits, and a test pin control memory [18] having an input coupled to the output of the pattern processor for decoding each of the words into 2.sup.M or less command words. Each of the decoded command words includes a plurality of control bits. Predetermined ones of the plurality of control bits are coupled to pin driver electronics [24,28] for specifying, for each of the test cycles, at least one characteristic of an electrical signal transmitted to the test pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1992
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael L. Combs, Algirdas J. Gruodis, Dale E. Hoffman, Charles A. Puntar, Kurt P. Szabo