Abstract: A memory array comprising strings of memory cells comprises a conductor tier. The conductor tier comprises upper conductor material directly above and directly against lower conductor material of different composition from that of the upper conductor material. The channel-material strings directly electrically couple to the upper and lower conductor materials of the conductor tier. A through-array-via (TAV) region is included and comprises TAVs. The TAVs individually comprise the upper conductor material, the lower conductor material, and a conducting material that is directly below the conductor tier. The lower conductor material is directly against the upper conductor material and directly against the conducting material. The lower conductor material comprises a metal-rich refractory metal nitride directly above and directly against a non-metal-rich refractory metal nitride that is directly against the conducting material.

Abstract: A memory array comprising strings of memory cells comprises laterally-spaced memory blocks individually comprising a vertical stack comprising alternating insulative tiers and conductive tiers above a conductor tier. Strings of memory cells comprising channel-material strings extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers. The conductor tier comprises upper conductor material directly above and directly against lower conductor material of different composition from that of the upper conductor material. A through-array-via (TAV) region is included and comprises TAVs individually comprising the upper conductor material, the lower conductor material, and a conducting material that is directly below the conductor tier.

Abstract: A test apparatus for testing electrical parameters of a target chip includes: a function generator; a switch matrix module; a plurality of source measurement units (SMUs); at least one of the SMUs is configured to provide power supply for the target chip; at least one of the SMUs is coupled to the switch matrix module; and at least two of said SMUs are test SMUs coupled to ports of the target chip and the function generator.

Abstract: A test apparatus for testing electrical parameters of a target chip includes: a function generator; a switch matrix module; a plurality of source measurement units (SMUs); at least one of the SMUs is configured to provide power supply for the target chip; at least one of the SMUs is coupled to the switch matrix module; and at least two of said SMUs are test SMUs coupled to ports of the target chip and the function generator.

Abstract: To improve test efficiency of addressable test chips, an addressable test chip test system includes a test equipment, a probe card and an addressable test chip, the test equipment connects to the addressable test chip through the probe card to constitute a test path, the test system includes a new type of address register, which can provide two test modes for users according to user's needs. A new type of high density addressable test chip can accommodate DUTs of more than 1000/mm2.

Abstract: An addressable ring oscillator test chip includes: a plurality of ring oscillator test units, and a peripheral structure including peripheral circuits and PADs. The peripheral circuits share a first power source and a first grounding. Each test unit is associated with an independent power source to thereby decrease voltage drop resulting from wiring and to reduce the influence from other test units. A method of generating a variety of ring oscillators includes: generating a cell template corresponding to a basic unit, including defining a parameterized cell template; generating a ring oscillator based on the cell template, including generating ring oscillators of different stages by selecting different parameters of the cell template; realizing internal connections of the ring oscillator; and generating an instantiated ring oscillator by replacing cell templates with corresponding basic units.

Abstract: To improve test efficiency of addressable test chips, an addressable test chip test system includes a test equipment, a probe card and an addressable test chip, the test equipment connects to the addressable test chip through the probe card to constitute a test path, the test system includes a new type of address register, which can provide two test modes for users according to user's needs. A new type of high density addressable test chip can accommodate DUTs of more than 1000/mm2.

Abstract: An addressable test circuit is configured to test parameters of a plurality of transistors. The addressable test circuit includes combination logic circuits including a plurality of gate circuits and are configured to select a device under test, a plurality of PADs, a plurality of address bus and data bus; wherein six or more of the data buses are test signal lines. A test method can employ the above address test circuit for testing parameters of a plurality of transistors, where the subthreshold leakage current Ioff and saturation current Idsat are measured in different signal lines respectively to ensure the accurate measurement of the two parameters in one circuit.

Abstract: A programmable test chip includes a target chip to be tested and addressing circuits fabricated on the same wafer. The addressing circuits can be placed in the scribe lines or a pre-allocated area of the wafer. When testing the target chip, a circuit connecting the target chip and the addressing circuits can be fabricated on demand. In some cases the target chip is not connected to the addressing circuits, and a DUT array exists in a scribe line having a connecting circuit prefabricated between the addressing circuits with the DUT array for testing the DUT array in the scribe line. When the need for testing the target chip arises, the prefabricated connecting circuit can be cut, and the connecting circuit connecting the target chip and the addressing circuits can be fabricated. Based on results from such test chips, the manufacturing process can be better studied.

Abstract: An addressable test circuit is configured to test parameters of a plurality of transistors. The addressable test circuit includes combination logic circuits including a plurality of gate circuits and are configured to select a device under test, a plurality of PADs, a plurality of address bus and data bus; wherein six or more of the data buses are test signal lines. A test method can employ the above address test circuit for testing parameters of a plurality of transistors, where the subthreshold leakage current Ioff and saturation current Idsat are measured in different signal lines respectively to ensure the accurate measurement of the two parameters in one circuit.

Abstract: An anti-disengaging mechanism of a cable connector includes a power connector having a jack opening. The power connector also has a metal electrode and a ring buckle located within the jack opening. A plug has a plug pin. When the plug pin is inserted into the jack opening, the ring buckle surrounds the plug pin. A longitudinal sliding pushrod is set in the power connector so that when the longitudinal sliding pushrod is in a first position, the longitudinal sliding pushrod tilts the ring buckle so as to lock the plug pin in the jack opening. When the longitudinal sliding pushrod is in a second position, the ring buckle releases the plug pin.

Abstract: An addressable ring oscillator test chip includes: a plurality of ring oscillator test units, and a peripheral structure including peripheral circuits and PADs. The peripheral circuits share a first power source and a first grounding. Each test unit is associated with an independent power source to thereby decrease voltage drop resulting from wiring and to reduce the influence from other test units. A method of generating a variety of ring oscillators includes: generating a cell template corresponding to a basic unit, including defining a parameterized cell template; generating a ring oscillator based on the cell template, including generating ring oscillators of different stages by selecting different parameters of the cell template; realizing internal connections of the ring oscillator; and generating an instantiated ring oscillator by replacing cell templates with corresponding basic units.

Abstract: An anti-disengaging mechanism of a cable connector includes a power connector having a jack opening. The power connector also has a metal electrode and a ring buckle located within the jack opening. A plug has a plug pin. When the plug pin is inserted into the jack opening, the ring buckle surrounds the plug pin. A longitudinal sliding pushrod is set in the power connector so that when the longitudinal sliding pushrod is in a first position, the longitudinal sliding pushrod tilts the ring buckle so as to lock the plug pin in the jack opening. When the longitudinal sliding pushrod is in a second position, the ring buckle releases the plug pin.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the chip testing field. A method for testing a plurality of transistors in a target chip is provided, characterized by automatically selecting a plurality of pre-defined transistors on the target chip and adding a connection layer to the key layers of each transistor such that the transistor to be tested is connected with and measured by an outside tester. Through automatic generation of the test structures and automatic wiring, the present invention greatly shortens the design cycle of test chips for target transistor testing, and greatly reduces the error probability in the process of designing test chips for target transistor testing, and improves the testing relevancy.

Abstract: A programmable test chip includes a target chip to be tested and addressing circuits fabricated on the same wafer. The addressing circuits can be placed in the scribe lines or a pre-allocated area of the wafer. When testing the target chip, a circuit connecting the target chip and the addressing circuits can be fabricated on demand. In some cases the target chip is not connected to the addressing circuits, and a DUT array exists in a scribe line having a connecting circuit prefabricated between the addressing circuits with the DUT array for testing the DUT array in the scribe line. When the need for testing the target chip arises, the prefabricated connecting circuit can be cut, and the connecting circuit connecting the target chip and the addressing circuits can be fabricated. Based on results from such test chips, the manufacturing process can be better studied.

Abstract: Methods of testing key parameters of transistors can be achieved using an addressable test circuit. Saturation current and leakage current of transistor are measured through different test signal lines. The addressable test circuit can be applied to a plurality of MOS transistors, each MOS transistor has a gate end G, a drain end D, a source end S, and a substrate B, wherein the S end and D end of each MOS transistor are respectively connected to different test signal lines. The test circuit can have a high area utilization rate such that it has the capacity to put a lot of transistors within one small wafer area. In addition, each transistor's Idsat, Ioff can be measured accurately.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the chip testing field. A method for testing a plurality of transistors in a target chip is provided, characterized by automatically selecting a plurality of pre-defined transistors on the target chip and adding a connection layer to the key layers of each transistor such that the transistor to be tested is connected with and measured by an outside tester. Through automatic generation of the test structures and automatic wiring, the present invention greatly shortens the design cycle of test chips for target transistor testing, and greatly reduces the error probability in the process of designing test chips for target transistor testing, and improves the testing relevancy.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of method of generating parameterized integrated circuit units in a plurality of platforms. The said method comprising: (1) designing parameterized units in a graphic user interface and defining their constrain relations; (2) transforming the parameterized units to scripts. The invention providing a method of designing parameterized units in a graphical user interface without editing parameterized unit scripts, reducing the complexity of the design process and the design cycle; in addition, it is very easy for users to design and maintenance; at the same time, increasing the portability.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention reduces resources needed to estimate the Icc Current Temperature Scaling Factor (ITSF) of a device, and provides a method and apparatus to estimate ITSF from the device speed and performance characteristics which can be measured at room temperature. In one embodiment, a method for estimating the ITSF of an integrated circuit includes: determining a level of propagation delay of a portion of the integrated circuit; and determining an estimated Icc current temperature scaling factor from a correlation between the level of the propagation delay and a modeled Icc current temperature scaling factor.

Abstract: A method of evaluating an inline inspection recipe compares the capture rate of metal pattern defects in bounding boxes arising from failed electrical test vectors to the capture rate after the bounding box is shifted. A difference between the first and second capture rates indicates whether the inline inspection recipe is valid for capturing killer defects, or if the inline inspection recipe needs to be adjusted. In a particular example, the electrical test vectors are directed at a selected patterned metal layer of an FPGA (M6), and the metal pattern defect data for the selected patterned metal layer is mapped to the bounding box determined by the electrical test vector.