US 11,754,616 B2
Methods and systems to test semiconductor devices based on dynamically updated boundary values
Chin-Hao Chang, Hsinchu (TW); Meng-Hsiu Wu, Hsinchu (TW); Chiao-Yi Huang, Zhubei (TW); Manoj M. Mhala, Hsinchu (TW); and Calvin Yi-Ping Chao, Zhubei (TW)
Assigned to TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LIMITED, Hsinchu (TW)
Filed by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited, Hsinchu (TW)
Filed on May 27, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/884,684.
Prior Publication US 2021/0373068 A1, Dec. 2, 2021
Int. Cl. G01R 31/26 (2020.01); G11C 16/26 (2006.01); G01R 31/319 (2006.01)
CPC G01R 31/2626 (2013.01) [G01R 31/31905 (2013.01); G11C 16/26 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for testing semiconductor devices, comprising:
obtaining, by a noise detector, a plurality of first results measured on a semiconductor device;
comparing, by the noise detector, each of the first results with a stored first boundary value and a stored second boundary value, wherein the stored first boundary value corresponds to a maximum value determined from a plurality of second results measured on the semiconductor device, and the stored second boundary value corresponds to a minimum value determined from a plurality of third results measured on the semiconductor device;
determining, by the noise detector based on the comparison between each of the first results and each of the stored first and second boundary values, whether to update the stored first boundary value and the stored second boundary value;
in response to the comparison,
updating, by the noise detector, the stored first boundary value by selecting a maximum value among the plurality of first results, and the stored second boundary value by selecting a minimum value among the plurality of first results;
calculating a first delta value that is a difference between the updated first boundary value and the updated second boundary value;
comparing, by the noise detector, the first delta value with a noise threshold value;
determining, by the noise detector based on the comparison between the first delta value and the noise threshold value, whether to update a value of a timer;
determining, by the noise detector, that the value of the timer satisfies a timer threshold; and
determining, by the noise detector, when the value of the timer satisfies the timer threshold, that the semiconductor device incurs noise.