Test circuit and semiconductor apparatus including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9423454-B2
Application number	US-201414279457-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2014
Priority date	Feb 18, 2014
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

A test circuit of a semiconductor apparatus includes a plurality of pads, a pattern generator configured to generate at least one internal test pattern in response to at least one pattern select signal, and a plurality of test units configured to transmit the at least one internal test pattern through the plurality of pads in response to a self test mode signal, and to compare the at least one test pattern received via the plurality of pads with the at least one generated internal test pattern and generate at least one test determination value based on the comparison.

First claim

what is claimed is:

1. A test circuit of a semiconductor apparatus comprising:
a plurality of pads;
a pattern generator that generates at least one internal test pattern in response to at least one pattern select signal; and
a plurality of test units that transmit the at least one internal test pattern through the plurality of pads in response to a self test mode signal, compare the at least one test pattern received via the plurality of pads with the at least one generated internal test pattern and generate at least one test determination value based on the comparison,
wherein the plurality of test units comprise:
determining sections that compare the at least one test pattern received via the plurality of pads and the at least one internal test pattern generated in accordance with the self test mode signal, and generate the at least one test determination value based on the comparison;
at least one first multiplexer that selects one of an output signal of one of an upper test unit and an output signal of at least one of the determining sections in response to a first test mode control signal;
at least one flip-flop that stores an output of at least one of the first multiplexers and transmits the output to a lower test unit;
at least one second multiplexer that selects one of an output signal of at least one of the flip-flops and normal mode transmission data in response to a second test mode control signal; and
at least one third multiplexer that selects one of an output signal of at least one of the second multiplexers and the internal test patterns and transmits the selected one of the output signal of at least one of the second multiplexers and the internal test patterns to the plurality of pads.

2. The test circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pads comprises command/address pads and data input/output pads.

3. The test circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the pattern generator comprises:
a first pattern generating section that generates a subset of the at least one internal test patterns in response to a first pattern select signal; and
a second pattern generating section that generates a remainder of the at least one internal test patterns in response to the first pattern select signal and a second pattern select signal.

4. The test circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of test units store the at least one test determination value and transmit the at least one test determination value to an external device in response to a test mode control signal.

5. The test circuit according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a mode generator that generates the test mode control signal in response to at least one external signal received from an external device via at least one of the plurality of pads.

6. A semiconductor apparatus comprising:
a plurality of stacked chips electrically coupled to one another by a plurality of TSV(through silicon via),
wherein, upon entry to a first test mode, a first one of the plurality of stacked chips transmit at least one internal test pattern generated at the first one of the plurality of stacked chips to the other plurality of stacked chips through a plurality of pads,
wherein, each one of the other plurality of stacked chips compare the at least one internal test pattern received from the first one of the plurality of stacked chips with at least one test pattern generated internally at that chip, generate at least one test determination value and transmit the at least one test determination value to an external system of the semiconductor apparatus,
wherein each of the plurality of stacked chips comprises:
the plurality of pads;
a pattern generator that generates the at least one internal test pattern in response to at least one pattern select signal; and
a plurality of test units that transmit the at least one internal test pattern through the plurality of pads in response to a self test mode signal, and compare the at least one internal test pattern received via the plurality of pads with the at least one internal test pattern generated internally at that chip and generate at least one test determination value based on the comparison, and
wherein the plurality of test units comprise:
determining sections that compare the at least one test pattern received via the plurality of pads and the at least one internal test pattern generated in accordance with the self test mode signal, and generate the at least one test determination value;
at least one first multiplexer that selects one of an output signal of one of an upper test units and an output signal of at least one of the determining sections in response to a first test mode control signal;
at least one flip-flop that stores an output of the at least one first multiplexer and to transmit the output to a lower test unit; and
at least one second multiplexer that selects one of an output signal of at least one of the flip-flops and normal mode transmission data in response to a second test mode control signal; and
at least one third multiplexer that selects one of an output signal of the at least one second multiplexer and the at least one internal test pattern and transmits the selected one of the output signal of the at least one second multiplexer and the at least one internal test pattern to the plurality of pads.

7. The semiconductor apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of pads are electrically coupled to the plurality of TSV.

8. The semiconductor apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of TSV further comprise bump pads, wherein the bump pads are electrically coupled to the plurality of TSV.

9. The semiconductor apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of pads comprise command/address pads and data input/output pads.

10. The semiconductor apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the pattern generator comprises:
a first pattern generating section that generates a subset of the at least one internal test pattern in response to a first pattern select signal; and
a second pattern generating section that generates a remainder of the at least one internal test pattern in response to the first pattern select signal and a second pattern select signal.

11. The semiconductor apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of test units transmit the at least one test determination value to an external device in response to a test mode control signal.

12. The semiconductor apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a mode generator that generates the test mode control signal in response to at least one external signal received from the external device via at least one of the plurality of pads.

13. The semiconductor apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of stacked chips that selectively output the at least one test determination value or substantially simultaneously output the at least one test determination value.

14. The semiconductor apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein each of the plurality of stacked chips comprises a serial data input pad and a serial data output pad, and selectively performs the first test mode and a second test mode,
wherein, in the second test mode, a first one of the plurality of stacked chips receives test data from the external system via the serial data input pad, and transmits the test data to the other chips in the plurality of stacked chips through the plurality of pads, and
wherein the each of the other chips in the plurality of stacked chips transmits the test data to the external system via the serial data output pad associated with that chip.

15. The sem

Assignees

• Sk Hynix Inc

Inventors

• Kim Ki Up

Classifications

• G11C2029/3602

  Pattern generator · CPC title

• G01R31/31703 Primary

  Comparison aspects, e.g. signature analysis, comparators (concerning scan tests G01R31/318566; concerning testers G01R31/3193) · CPC title

• G01R31/318513

  Test of Multi-Chip-Moduls · CPC title

• G11C29/36

  Data generation devices, e.g. data inverters · CPC title

• G01R31/3187

  Built-in tests · CPC title