Semiconductor chip with adaptive BIST cache testing during runtime

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9229872-B2
Application number	US-201313843639-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

A method is described that includes during runtime of a semiconductor die, determining that a next BIST test sequence of a storage component embedded on the die is appropriate. The method further includes applying a BIST test sequence to each valid entry in the storage component. The method also includes marking any newly invalid entries in the storage component as invalid and configuring a respective replacement entry for each of the newly invalid entries.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A semiconductor die, comprising:
a cache having cache entries;
replacement cache entries for invalid ones of said cache entries;
replacement circuitry to configure replacement of said invalid ones of said cache entries with respective ones of said replacement cache entries; and
a controller to perform built-in self test (BIST) operations on said cache entries during runtime and record in a log a timestamp, a temperature, and a supply voltage for each BIST operation.

2. The semiconductor die of claim 1 wherein the controller is to determine a supply voltage to the cache as a function of an expected number of invalid entries in said cache as a function of said supply voltage.

3. The semiconductor die of claim 2 further comprising register space to set a reduced supply voltage.

4. The semiconductor die of claim 1 wherein said controller is to track a time period over which said cache has endured a particular temperature and supply voltage combination.

5. The semiconductor die of claim 4 wherein said controller is to trigger a next BIST operation on said cache prior to an expected showing of degradation of said cache entries at said particular temperature and supply voltage combination.

6. The semiconductor die of claim 1 further comprising power management circuitry to cause a reduced supply voltage to be applied during a low performance state of said semiconductor die.

7. The semiconductor die of claim 1 wherein each of said cache entries include respective information indicating whether the cache entry is valid or invalid.

8. The semiconductor die of claim 7 wherein said controller is to refer to a mask data structure to set said respective information of said cache entries.

9. A method, comprising:
recording in a log a timestamp, a temperature, and a supply voltage for built-in self test (BIST) sequences of a storage component embedded on a semiconductor die;
during runtime of the semiconductor die, determining that a next BIST sequence of the storage component embedded on the semiconductor die is to be performed from the log;
performing a BIST sequence on each valid entry in the storage component;
marking any newly invalid entries in the storage component as invalid; and
configuring a respective replacement entry for each of the newly invalid entries.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said storage component is any of:
a cache;
embedded system memory;
register space; and
non volatile memory.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said determining that said next BIST sequence is to be performed is based on a temperature and a supply voltage being applied to said storage component.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising applying a lower supply voltage to said storage component upon entering a low performance state, said lower supply voltage being applied to said storage component during said performing said BIST sequence.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising recording said newly invalid entries in a mask data structure.

14. A non-transitory machine readable medium containing program code that when processed by an electronic processing system causes a method to be performed, said method comprising:
recording in a log a timestamp, a temperature, and a supply voltage for built-in self test (BIST) sequences of a storage component embedded on a semiconductor die;
during runtime of the semiconductor die, determining that a next BIST sequence of the storage component embedded on the semiconductor die is to be performed from the log;
performing a BIST sequence on each valid entry in the storage component;
marking any newly invalid entries in the storage component as invalid; and
configuring a respective replacement entry for each of the newly invalid entries.

15. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 14 wherein said storage component is any of:
a cache;
embedded system memory;
register space; and
non volatile memory.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 14 wherein said determining that said next BIST sequence is to be performed is based on a temperature and a supply voltage being applied to said storage component.

17. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 14 wherein said method further comprises applying a lower supply voltage to said storage component upon entering a low performance state, said lower supply voltage being applied to said storage component during said performing said BIST sequence.

18. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 14 wherein said method further comprises recording said newly invalid entries in a mask data structure.

19. A processor, comprising:
a cache having cache entries;
circuitry to mark invalid ones of said cache entries; and
a controller to perform built-in self test (BIST) operations on said cache entries during runtime and record in a log a timestamp, a temperature, and a supply voltage for each BIST operation.

20. The processor of claim 19 wherein the controller is to determine a supply voltage to the cache as a function of an expected number of invalid entries in said cache as a function of said supply voltage.

21. The processor of claim 19 wherein said controller is to track a time period over which said cache has endured a particular temperature and supply voltage combination.

22. The processor of claim 21 wherein said controller is to trigger a next BIST operation on said cache prior to an expected showing of degradation of said cache entries at said particular temperature and supply voltage combination.

23. The processor of claim 19 further comprising power management circuitry to cause a reduced supply voltage to be applied during a low performance state of said processor.

Assignees

• Wilkerson Christopher
• Nasrullah Jawad
• Kwan Kelvin
• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Wilkerson Christopher
• Nasrullah Jawad
• Kwan Kelvin

Classifications

• G01R31/3187 Primary

  Built-in tests · CPC title

• G06F12/0891 Primary

  using clearing, invalidating or resetting means · CPC title

• G06F1/3296

  by lowering the supply or operating voltage · CPC title

• G11C2029/0409

  Online test · CPC title

• G11C29/16

  using microprogrammed units, e.g. state machines · CPC title