Integrated circuit testing module including data generator

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BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The current invention relates to integrated circuit (IC) devices, and in particular, to the testing of integrated circuit devices.

2. Related Art

An integrated circuit (IC) device may comprise many miniaturized circuits implemented in a semiconductor substrate. IC devices must be tested in order to ensure proper operation before they are used. IC devices can be tested in a limited fashion using built-in self test (BIST) circuitry that is implemented within the IC devices themselves. BIST testing, however, is incomplete and does not test all aspects of the device's operation. Thorough testing of an IC device is accomplished with complex and expensive external testing equipment.

As the complexity and clock speeds of integrated circuits increase, the capabilities of existing external testing equipment can become a limiting factor in the testing of new integrated circuits. For example, the clock speeds of the fastest memory devices increase on almost an annual basis. These memory devices cannot be tested at their maximum clock speeds using older testing equipment that was build for testing slower memory. Because of their cost, it is impractical to purchase new testing equipment with each advance in clock speeds. There is, therefore, a need for improved systems and methods of testing integrated circuits.

SUMMARY

The present invention includes, in various embodiments, a test module configured to operate between testing equipment and one or more integrated circuits to be tested. The test module is configured to communicate with the testing equipment at a first clock frequency and to communicate with the integrated circuits to be tested at a second, typically faster, clock frequency. In some embodiments, the test module includes components configured to generate addresses and test data for testing of memory devices responsive to data and commands received from the testing equipment. These memory devices can include, for example, DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), Flash Memory, or the like.

The integrated circuits to be tested are optionally embedded within an electronic device. For example, in some embodiments, the integrated circuits to be tested are memory circuits within a system-on-chip (SoC), system-in-package (SiP), system-in-module (SiM), module-in-module (MiM) package-over-package (POP), package-in-package (PiP), or the like. In these embodiments, the test module can be configured to operate the electronic device in a first mode wherein shared inputs to the electronic device are used to for testing first circuits within the electronic device, and a second mode wherein the shared inputs are used to communicate with other circuits within the electronic device. Thus, in some embodiments, the test module is configured to test circuits at a clock frequency faster than testing equipment being used, while also communicating to the circuits being tested in a test mode through shared inputs.

In some embodiments, the test module is programmable to generate a variety of test patterns as may be desirable for testing various types of memory architectures. For example, data generated by the test module may be configured to form a solid, checkerboard, or striped pattern in memory being tested. The test data generated is optionally responsive to generated addresses. In some embodiments, the test module includes a command scheduler component configured to convey instructions (e.g., commands) to a memory device being tested, at predetermined intervals.

Various embodiments of the invention include a system comprising one or more input components configured to receive signals from an automated testing equipment at a first clock frequency, the automated testing equipment being configured to test an integrated circuit, an address generating component configured to generate addresses responsive to the signals received from the automated testing equipment, one or more data generating components configured to generate test data responsive to the signals received from the automated testing equipment, the test data to be delivered to the addresses generated by the address generating component, and one or more output components configured to convey the generated test data to the generated addresses within the integrated circuit at a second clock frequency, the integrated circuit being separable from the one or more output components, the second clock frequency being a higher frequency than the first clock frequency.

Various embodiments of the invention include a method comprising attaching an automated testing equipment to a test module, attaching an integrated circuit to be tested to the test module, configuring the test module for testing of the integrated circuit, receiving test signals from the automated testing equipment at the test module at a first clock frequency, generating test addresses within the test module responsive to the test signals received from the automated testing equipment, generating test data within the test module responsive to the test signals received from the automated testing equipment, and sending the generated test data to the generated test addresses within the integrated circuit at a second clock frequency, the second clock frequency being a higher frequency than the first clock frequency.

Various embodiments of the invention include a system comprising means for connecting a test module between an automated testing equipment and an integrated circuit to be tested, means for configuring the test module for testing of the integrated circuit, means for receiving test signals from the automated testing equipment at the test module at a first clock frequency, means for generating test addresses within the test module responsive to the test signals received from the automated testing equipment, means for generating test data within the test module responsive to the test signals received from the automated testing equipment, means for sending the generated test data to the generated test addresses wi