Data processing: measuring – calibrating – or testing – Measurement system in a specific environment – Quality evaluation
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-24
2001-07-03
Shah, Kamini (Department: 2857)
Data processing: measuring, calibrating, or testing
Measurement system in a specific environment
Quality evaluation
C702S179000, C702S182000, C702S183000, C073S001010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06256593
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to systems for testing a manufacturing of an article, or the like, such as a memory device. In particular, the present invention relates to a system for evaluating and comparing data from two manufacturing tests performed during the manufacture of memory devices and then providing a consumable output to identify the relation between the data from the manufacturing tests.
Exercising a semiconductor-type memory device during manufacturing for testing purposes is known. Such exercising can include running all ones or zeros through the device and then recording the output, or running checkerboard patterns, digit stripes, double digit stripes, or other pattern mechanisms or ways of writing to a device, and comparing the actual output to an expected output for a given set of conditions such as supply and substrate voltage, or conditions with regard to timing, etc.
The results of such exercises are evaluated to provide information on the device and the testing process. Outputs of such tests are collected and a determination made as to whether the device had passed or failed. Data accumulated from the tests is logged, but each engineer or tester who wants to look at the data in order to make comparisons must go through the data by hand. If a change is to be made to the testing process, testers run a second sequence of tests on the device previously tested. Such test sequences could be used for, for example, to catch a new error mechanism or to eliminate a redundant test. To date, this evaluation has been done by hand.
Calculating repair solutions as a function of the testing process is also known. In the case of repair solutions, performed on a per die basis, this system was only feasible as long as the number of dice remained relatively small. As die sizes decreased, and as wafer sizes increased, thus increasing the number of dice, the number of repair solutions, increased geometrically. Consequently, the manual evaluation of data became overly burdensome. Even when the evaluation of test results became automated, the sheer amount of data that a test could provide prevented a thorough evaluation of all of the test results. For example, some manufacturers opted to analyze the data only after the tests were performed, and then only consider summaries of test data.
What is needed is a mechanism to evaluate all relevant data across independent test procedures and to provide a consumable output to give the tester an accurate account of the test results. In addition, what is needed is a way of present repair solutions which allow a facile comparison of different approach to generating the solutions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a system for evaluating relevant data across independent test sequences and providing a consumable output to give a tester an accurate account of the test data. A method for reporting the results of the test processes includes several steps. First, repair, trending, characterization, timing and engineering data for two separate test sequences are read. Next, the data is compared. Also, an analytical report of the test data comparisons is assembled and output.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5440478 (1995-08-01), Fisher et al.
patent: 5661669 (1997-08-01), Mozunder et al.
Gersting, J.L., “Mathematical Structures for Computer Science”,Computer Science Press,3rd ed., W. H. Freeman and Company, 156, (1993).
Adsitt Matt
Damon Tim
Dean Dan
Holden Blane
Pearson Mike
Micro)n Technology, Inc.
Schwegman Lundberg Woessner & Kluth P.A.
Shah Kamini
Vo Hien
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