公开(公告)号：US20160116529A1

公开(公告)日：2016-04-28

申请号：US14856837

申请日：2015-09-17

Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Inventor： Yong-sang CHO ,  Chang-ok YOU ,  Jae-won CHOI

IPC: G01R31/28

CPC classification number: G01R31/2874 ,  G01R31/3004 ,  G01R31/3012

Abstract: An apparatus and a method which use a programmable reliability aging timer are provided. The apparatus includes a performance circuit configured to perform a function of an integrated circuit (IC), a memory unit configured to store a lifetime of the IC, a controller configured to set an aging target condition according to the lifetime stored in the memory unit, and a reliability aging timer (RAT) configured to apply stress to a test pattern according to the aging target condition and sense a result of the stress to determine the degradation of the IC. The RAT refreshes an operation of the performance circuit if it is determined that the IC degraded before the lifetime of the IC.

Abstract translation: 提供了一种使用可编程可靠性老化定时器的装置和方法。 该装置包括执行集成电路（IC）的功能的性能电路，被配置为存储IC的寿命的存储单元，配置为根据存储在存储单元中的寿命来设置老化目标条件的控制器， 以及可靠性老化定时器（RAT），其被配置为根据老化目标条件向测试图案施加应力，并感测应力的结果以确定IC的劣化。 如果确定IC在IC的寿命之前劣化，则RAT刷新性能电路的操作。