A semiconductor device including an SRAM capable of sensing a defective memory cell that does not satisfy desired characteristics is provided. The semiconductor device includes a memory cell, a bit line pair being coupled to the memory cell and having a voltage changed towards a power-supply voltage and a ground voltage in accordance with data of the memory cell in a read mode, and a specifying circuit for specifying a bit line out of the bit line pair. In the semiconductor device, a wiring capacitance is coupled to the bit line specified by the specifying circuit and a voltage of the specified bit line is set to a voltage between a power voltage and a ground voltage in a test mode.

A chip detection method includes: providing a chip to be tested, the chip having multiple one-time programmable memories (OTPMs); transmitting a test signal to the chip to maintain the OTPMs in the chip in a latched state; and detecting whether the chip emits a low-light signal, and if yes, determining that an OTPM is leaky. The chip detection method and device can detect an OTPM that is burnt through by mistake, and can also detect an OTPM that has slight leakage, thereby preventing a defective product with a potential burn-through risk from entering a subsequent production process.

A storage system includes a controller part, a data storage part, and a transfer path of a signal that couples these parts. A driver included in the controller part transmits the signal including write data on the basis of a configured parameter, a receiver included in the data storage part receives the signal, and the write data included in the signal is written into a first storage area. The controller part reads the write data from the first storage area, determines whether or not a bit error exists in the write data, changes the parameter when the bit error exists to repeat similar determination and find an appropriate parameter at which the bit error no longer exists.

There are provided a current sensing circuit and a memory device having the same. A current sensing circuit includes a current mirror unit suitable for outputting a first voltage and a second voltage; a chunk current controller suitable for generating the first voltage by generating a current through at least one page buffer; a fail bit counter suitable for adjusting a current at a first node where the first voltage is output in response to fail bits received from the page buffer; an allowed bit counter suitable for adjusting the current at the first node according to predetermined allowed bits; and a target range setting unit suitable for adjusting a current at a second node where the second voltage is output in response to a target code.

Memory programming methods and memory systems are described. One example memory programming method includes first applying a first signal to a memory cell to attempt to program the memory cell to a desired state, wherein the first signal corresponds to the desired state, after the first applying, determining that the memory cell failed to place in the desired state, after the determining, second applying a second signal to the memory cell, wherein the second signal corresponds to another state which is different than the desired state, and after the second applying, third applying a third signal to the memory cell to program the memory cell to the desired state, wherein the third signal corresponds to the desired state. Additional method and apparatus are described.

A method of determining a current in a memory element of a crossbar array is described. In the method, a number of pre-access operations are initiated. Each pre-access operation includes discarding a previously stored sneak current, determining a new sneak current for the crossbar array, discarding a previously stored sneak current, and storing the new sneak current. In the method, in response to a received access command, an access voltage is applied to a target memory element of the crossbar array and an element current for the target memory element is determined based on an access current and a stored sneak current.

Techniques are presented for determining current levels based on the behavior of a charge pump system while driving a load under regulation. While driving the load under regulation, the number of pump clocks during a set interval is counted. This can be compared to a reference that can be obtained, for example, from the numbers of cycles needed to drive a known load current over an interval of the duration. By comparing the counts, the amount of current being drawn by the load can be determined. This technique can be applied to determining leakage from circuit elements, such as word lines in a non-volatile memory.

Methods of operating a memory device having embedded leak checks may mitigate data loss events due to access line defects, and may facilitate improved power consumption characteristics. Such methods might include applying a program pulse to a selected access line coupled to a memory cell selected for programming, verifying whether the selected memory cell has reached a desired data state, bringing the selected access line to a first voltage, applying a second voltage to an unselected access line, applying a reference current to the selected access line, and determining if a current flow between the selected access line and the unselected access line is greater than the reference current.

A circuit for monitoring a resistive memory having an array of cells coupled between respective bitlines and respective wordlines. The circuit includes a current determining circuit configured to determine a cell current and a cell current change rate of at least one of the cells; and a control circuit configured to: determine whether the cell current change rate is outside of a cell current change rate predefined range; and perform a predetermined action if the control circuit determination is positive.

A memory device can include: a memory array with memory cells arranged as data lines; an interface that receives a read command requesting bytes of data in a consecutively addressed order from an address of a starting byte; a first buffer that stores a first data line from the memory array that includes the starting byte; a second buffer that stores a second data line from the memory array, which is consecutively addressed with respect to the first data line; output circuitry configured to access data from the buffers, and to sequentially output each byte from the starting byte through a highest addressed byte of the first data line, and each byte from a lowest addressed byte of the second data line until the requested data bytes has been output; and a data strobe driver that clocks each byte of data output by a data strobe on the interface.