Abstract: A method and apparatus for calibrating failures in semiconductor memory devices due to contact mask misalignment includes: providing a plurality of semiconductor memory devices on a die; providing a contact mask with a plurality of known offsets; creating a plurality of contacts on the die using the contact mask; determining which devices on the die fail; and creating a pass/fail map for the devices. The pass/fail map can be used to determine the range of allowed misalignment and the amount of misalignment, providing a better understanding of how contact mask misalignment affects the yield and reliability of the memory devices. The pass/fail map may also be used for comparison with a pass/fail map created after the arrays have been subjected to a known stress.

Abstract: A method for in-line testing of a chip to include multiple independent bit Flash memory devices, includes the steps of: grounding every other polysilicon line on the chip to emulate the multiple independent bit Flash memory devices, where an oxide line reside between every two polysilicon lines; scanning the polysilicon lines with an electron beam; examining voltage contrasts between the polysilicon lines; and determining if there are consecutively grounded polysilicon lines based on the voltage contrasts. If consecutive polysilicon lines appear to be grounded, then this indicates that a bridge defect exists between two of the consecutively grounded polysilicon lines. With this method, bridge defects in multiple independent bit Flash memory devices are better detected, leading to improved yield and reliability of the devices.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for determining floating body delay effects in an SOI wafer, wherein test apparatus is provided in a wafer comprising a plurality of floating body devices fabricated in series in the wafer, and a pulse generation circuit providing a pulse output corresponding to a delay time associated with the floating body chain according to an input pulse edge and a propagated pulse edge from the floating body devices.

Abstract: An initializing circuit for automatically providing a pulse of a duration sufficient to initialize all the relevant storage elements in an electronic calculator computing system having one or two power supplies. It comprises a power-on pulse generator controlled by two phase clock buffers utilizing a feed-back loop including a bit of delay to guarantee a minimum of one bit time duration for the power-on level. The two phase clock buffers are activated at turn-on to remain in a steady state by a power-on level detecting sub-circuit to control the pulse generator. When a one bit pulse is insufficient to initialize the system, a flip-flop and a counter may be used to generate a longer pulse.