Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for life expectancy monitoring for memory devices are described. Some memory devices may degrade over time, and this degradation may include or refer to a reduction of an ability of the memory device to reliably store, read, process, or communicate information, among other degradation. In accordance with examples as disclosed herein, a system may include components configured for monitoring health or life expectancy of the memory device, such as components that perform comparisons between signals or other operating characteristics resulting from operating at the memory device and one or more threshold values that may be indicative of a life expectancy of the memory device. In various examples, a memory device may perform a subsequent operation based on such a comparison, or may provide an indication of a life expectancy to a host device based on one or more comparisons or determinations about health or life expectancy.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for monitoring and adjusting access operations at a memory device are described to support integrating monitors or sensors for detecting memory device health issues, such as those resulting from device access or wear. The monitoring may include traffic monitoring of access operations performed at various components of the memory device, or may include sensors that may measure parameters of components of the memory device to detect wear. The traffic monitoring or the parameters measured by the sensors may be represented by a metric related to access operations for the memory device. The memory device may use the metric (e.g., along with a threshold) to determine whether to adjust a parameter associated with performing access operations received by the memory device, in order to implement a corrective action.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for monitoring and reporting a status of a memory device are described. A memory device may include monitoring circuitry that may be configured to monitor health and wear information for the memory device. A host device may write to a dedicated register of the memory device, to configure the memory device with health status information reporting parameters. The memory device may monitor and report the health status information of the memory device based on the received reporting configuration or based on a default configuration, and may write one or more values indicative of the health status information to a dedicated register. The host device may perform a read on the readout register to obtain the health status information, as indicated by the one or more values, and may adjust operating procedures or take other actions based on the received health status information.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for operational monitoring for memory devices are described. Some memory devices may degrade over time, and this degradation may include or refer to a reduction of an ability of the memory device to reliably store, read, process, or communicate information, among other degradation. In accordance with examples as disclosed herein, a memory device may include components configured for monitoring health or life expectancy or both of the memory device, such as components internal to the memory device that identify and store various indications of a duration of operating a memory device. An operational duration stored at the memory device may be used in various operations, such as calculations or comparisons, to evaluate health or life expectancy of the memory device, which may include or be supported by various signaling with a host device.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus, and methods related to tamper-resistant integrated circuits are described. The tamper-resistant integrated circuits include tamper-resistant features including a tamper-resistant material formulated or configured to exhibit a change in at least one electrical property responsive to exposure to oxygen, electromagnetic radiation, or other environmental conditions. Data located within the integrated circuit may be erased, or at least a portion of the integrated circuit may be destroyed, responsive to a change in the at least one electrical property. In some examples, one or more electrical properties of a tamper-resistant feature may be measured. A change in an electrical property may be an indication that the associated integrated circuit has been tampered with.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to semiconductor devices, and, in particular, to memory devices with a data-recording mechanism. A duration of time that a memory device operates in excess of an operational parameter may be tracked via intentional degradation to a transistor. One or more signals that result from the intentional degradation to the transistor may be leveraged to generate alarms and/or be otherwise used in a memory device control circuit and/or system.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods related to logging failed authentication attempts. Failed authentication attempts can be logged in the circuitry by degrading the circuitry. The degradation can signal a fail authentication attempt while an amount of the degradation can represent a timing of the error.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus, and methods related to tamper-resistant integrated circuits are described. The tamper-resistant integrated circuits include tamper-resistant features including a tamper-resistant material formulated or configured to exhibit a change in at least one electrical property responsive to exposure to oxygen, electromagnetic radiation, or other environmental conditions. Data located within the integrated circuit may be erased, or at least a portion of the integrated circuit may be destroyed, responsive to a change in the at least one electrical property. In some examples, one or more electrical properties of a tamper-resistant feature may be measured. A change in an electrical property may be an indication that the associated integrated circuit has been tampered with.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to semiconductor devices, and, in particular, to memory devices with a data-recording mechanism. A duration of time that a memory device operates in excess of an operational parameter may be tracked via intentional degradation to a transistor. One or more signals that result from the intentional degradation to the transistor may be leveraged to generate alarms and/or be otherwise used in a memory device control circuit and/or system.

Abstract: An electronic device includes: a detection circuit configured to determine one or more operating data, one or more device sensor data, or a combination thereof associated with operation of the electronic device; a trigger circuit operably coupled to the circuit, the trigger circuit configured to generate a stress input based on detecting one or more target criteria from the one or more operating data, the one or more device sensor data, or a combination thereof; and a degradation sensor operably coupled to the trigger circuit, the degradation sensor having a threshold voltage and being configured to record the target criteria that occurs during operation of the electronic device, wherein the degradation sensor is configured to record the target criteria based on degradation of the threshold voltage according to the stress input.

Abstract: Delay circuits may be controlled by apparatuses and methods during an idle state to reduce degradation of an electrical characteristic. An example apparatus includes a delay line circuit including a plurality of delay stages, and further includes a delay line control circuit coupled to the delay line circuit. The delay line control circuit is configured to enable delay stages of the plurality of delay stages, and is further configured to control enabled delay stages of the plurality of delay stages to provide a respective output clock signal having a high logic level during an idle state.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for mitigating uneven circuit degradation of delay circuits are disclosed. In an example method, an imbalance in transistor threshold voltages is detected between a transistor of a first delay circuit and a transistor of a second delay circuit that is series coupled to the first delay circuit, and a clock level of an input clock signal to the first delay circuit is switched responsive to detecting the imbalance.

Abstract: Apparatuses and method for controlling delay circuits during an idle state to reduce degradation of an electrical characteristic is disclosed. An example apparatus includes a delay line circuit including a plurality of delay stages, and further includes a delay line control circuit coupled to the delay line circuit. The delay line control circuit is configured to enable delay stages of the plurality of delay stages, and is further configured to control enabled delay stages of the plurality of delay stages to provide a respective output clock signal having a high logic level during an idle state.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for mitigating uneven circuit degradation of delay circuits are disclosed. In an example method, an imbalance in transistor threshold voltages is detected between a transistor of a first delay circuit and a transistor of a second delay circuit that is series coupled to the first delay circuit, and a clock level of an input clock signal to the first delay circuit is switched responsive to detecting the imbalance.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for testing of semiconductor memory devices. In one embodiment, a test mode of operation is defined for a memory device. In a normal mode of operation, a row line than addressed memory cell is asserted in response to applied external signals corresponding to the beginning of a write-back phase of a read-modify-write cycle. The row line is deasserted on response to applied external signals corresponding to the end of the write-back phase. In the test mode of operation, the row line is asserted in response to the appropriate applied external signals, but deassertion in response to the appropriate applied external signals is suppressed. Instead, deassertion of the row line is forced only upon expiration of a programmable, predetermined time interval following initiation of the write-back phase. The programmable delay can be established by means of an R-C time constant delay circuit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for testing of semiconductor memory devices. In one embodiment, a test mode of operation is defined for a memory device. In a normal mode of operation, a row line to an addressed memory cell is asserted in response to applied external signals corresponding to the beginning of a write-back phase of a read-modify-write cycle. The row line is deasserted on response to applied external signals corresponding to the end of the write-back phase. In the test mode of operation, the row line is asserted in response to the appropriate applied external signals, but deassertion in response to the appropriate applied external signals is suppressed. Instead, deassertion of the row line is forced only upon expiration of a programmable, predetermined time interval following initiation of the write-back phase. The programmable delay can be established by means of an R-C time constant delay circuit.