Methods, systems, and apparatus for testing semiconductor devices.

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.

A system includes test control circuitry and a memory. The memory includes a memory array, a pre-decode circuit, and a plurality of address latches. Each address latch of the plurality of address latches is configured to operate in a scan chain of a plurality of scan chains for scan testing. A first set of the plurality of address latches each has a data input coupled to a corresponding address pin of the first memory and each has an output coupled to the pre-decode circuit. A second set of the plurality of address latches, mutually exclusive of the first set, each has a data input coupled to a data input of at least one latch in the first set of the plurality of latches and each is configured to not provide any input to the pre-decode circuit.

This disclosure describes a reduced pin bus that can be used on integrated circuits or embedded cores within integrated circuits. The bus may be used for serial access to circuits where the availability of pins on ICs or terminals on cores is limited. The bus may be used for a variety of serial communication operations such as, but not limited to, serial communication related test, emulation, debug, and/or trace operations of an IC or core design. Other aspects of the disclosure include the use of reduced pin buses for emulation, debug, and trace operations and for functional operations.

A test circuit is operable in ATPG mode and LBIST mode. The test circuit includes a clock selection circuit. The clock selection circuit includes clock logic circuitry to receive an LBIST mode signal and an ATPG mode signal and to generate an indication of whether the test circuit is operating in either the ATPG mode or the LBIST mode, a multiplexing circuit to receive an ATPG clock and a functional clock as input and output a selected one of the ATPG clock and the functional clock, and a clock gate circuit enabled in response to enable signals. The enable signals are an inverse of a selected one of the ATPG clock and the functional clock. The clock gate circuit receives the indication of whether the test circuit is operating in either the ATPG mode or the LBIST mode and generates a test clock as a function of the indication.

In certain aspects, a pattern generation system includes a pattern generator, a memory, a pin function register, a pin function mapper, and a set of source selectors. The pattern generator generates a plurality of source patterns. The memory stores a lookup table set. The lookup table set describes a mapping relationship between the plurality of source patterns and a set of test channels, and is indexed based on a pin function index. The pin function register stores a value of the pin function index. The pin function mapper executes a pin-mapping operation to generate a set of source selection signals based on the value of the pin function index and the lookup table set. Each source selector selects and outputs a source signal from the plurality of source patterns to a corresponding test channel based on a corresponding source selection signal received from the pin function mapper.

An address and command port interface selectively enables JTAG TAP domain operations and Trace domain operations within an IC. The port carries TMS and TDI input and TDO output on a single pin and receives a clock signal on a separate pin. The addressable two pin interface loads and updates instructions and data to the TAP domain within the IC. The instruction or data update operations in multiple ICs occur simultaneously. A process transmits data from an addressed target device to a controller using data frames, each data frame comprising a header bit and data bits. The logic level of the header bit is used to start, continue, and stop the data transmission to the controller. A data and clock signal interface between a controller and multiple target devices provides for each target device to be individually addressed and commanded to perform a JTAG or Trace operation.

A test apparatus for testing electrical parameters of a target chip, the apparatus including: 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.

An address register includes a plurality of edge-triggered flip-flop registers having an input D, an input R, an input CK, and an output Q; a counter logic; a shifter logic; a multiplexer; input ports including a reset signal RST, a clock signal CLK, a shift enable signal SE, a shift data input signal SI; an output port including address signals ADDR. D is coupled to a data output of the multiplexer; R is coupled to a reset (RST) pad; CK is coupled to a clock (CLK) pad; Q is coupled to an address (ADDR) pad; an input of the counter logic is coupled to ADDR; an input of the shifter logic is coupled to ADDR and the shift data input signal SI; an input of the multiplexer is coupled to SE, an output of the counter logic, and an output of the shifter logic.

Embodiments include novel approaches for scan-based device testing using a march controller. A march data store can have sets of march element data stored thereon, each defining a respective march element of a march test sequence. A march select register can select each stored set of march element data according to the predefined march test sequence, and a march data loader can iteratively and sequentially output each set of march element data selected by the march select register. A memory built-in self-test controller can generate, in response to receiving each set of march element data output by the march controller, test stimulus data corresponding to the received set of march element data. The test stimulus data can input to a scan chain of the integrated circuit under test, and response data can be captured from the scan chain and assessed to determine whether the integrated circuit passed the test.