IP Library Granted Patent US 7,805,643
Granted Patent B2
US 7,805,643 · App. 11/649,916 · Granted Sep 28, 2010

Non-volatile semiconductor memory device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,805,643
App. No.
11/649,916
Granted
Sep 28, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

A cut-off circuit cuts off supply of a power supply voltage from a voltage supply circuit to a non-volatile memory block. A discharge circuit discharges an electric charge accumulated in stability capacitance. In a data retention test of the memory block, a self test circuit instructs the cut-off circuit to start operation after writing predetermined data into the memory block, and instructs the cut-off circuit to stop the operation to check retention of the predetermined data in the memory block in a predetermined time after the instruction to the cut-off circuit to start the operation. Further, in the data retention test of the memory block, the self test circuit instructs the discharge circuit to start operation along with the instruction to the cut-off circuit to start the operation, and instructs the discharge circuit to stop the operation along with the instruction to the cut-off circuit to stop the operation.

Claims (40)

1. A semiconductor device, comprising:

plural functional blocks including a non-volatile memory block;

a voltage supply circuit supplying a power supply voltage to said functional blocks;

a cut-off circuit cutting off the supply of said power supply voltage from said voltage supply circuit to said memory block; and

a self test circuit performing tests of said functional blocks, wherein

in a data retention test of said memory block, said self test circuit instructs said cut-off circuit to start an operation after writing predetermined data into said memory block, and instructs said cut-off circuit to stop the operation to check retention of said predetermined data in said memory block in a predetermined time after the instruction to said cut-off circuit to start the operation,

wherein the voltage supply circuit supplies the power supply voltage to at least one of the plural functional blocks other than the memory block while cutting off the supply of said power supply voltage from said voltage supply circuit to said memory block.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein:

said cut-off circuit comprises a voltage supply control switch connected between a power supply line and a power supply pin of said memory block, the power supply line being supplied with said power supply voltage by said voltage supply circuit; and

said voltage supply control switch is turned off in response to the instruction from said self test circuit to said cut-off circuit to start the operation, and turned on in response to the instruction from said self test circuit to said cut-off circuit to stop the operation.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a stability capacitance connected between a power supply pin of said memory block and a ground line; and

a discharge circuit discharging an electric charge accumulated in said stability capacitance, wherein

in the data retention test of said memory block, said self test circuit instructs said discharge circuit to start an operation along with the instruction to said cut-off circuit to start the operation, and instructs said discharge circuit to stop the operation along with the instruction to said cut-off circuit to stop the operation.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 3 , wherein

said discharge circuit comprises a discharge control switch connected between the power supply pin of said memory block and said ground line, and

said discharge control switch is turned on in response to the instruction from said self test circuit to said discharge circuit to start the operation and turned off in response to the instruction from said self test circuit to said discharge circuit to stop the operation.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 3 , wherein

said stability capacitance is constituted of a ferroelectric capacitance.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein

said memory block is constituted of a ferroelectric memory.

7. A semiconductor device, comprising:

plural functional blocks including a non-volatile memory block;

a voltage supply circuit supplying a first power supply voltage to said memory block and supplying a second power supply voltage to at least one of said functional blocks except said memory block;

a cut-off circuit cutting off the supply of said first power supply voltage from said voltage supply circuit to said memory block; and

a self test circuit performing tests of said functional blocks, wherein

in a data retention test of said memory block, said self test circuit instructs said cut-off circuit to start an operation after writing predetermined data into said memory block, and instructs said cut-off circuit to stop the operation to check retention of said predetermined data in said memory block in a predetermined time after the instruction to said cut-off circuit to start the operation,

wherein the voltage supply circuit supplies the second power supply voltage to at least one of the plural functional blocks other than the memory block while cutting off the supply of said first power supply voltage from said voltage supply circuit to said memory block.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 7 , further comprising:

a stability capacitance connected between a power supply pin of said memory block and a ground line; and

a discharge circuit discharging an electric charge accumulated in said stability capacitance, wherein

in the data retention test of said memory block, said self test circuit instructs said discharge circuit to start an operation along with the instruction to said cut-off circuit to start the operation, and instructs said discharge circuit to stop the operation along with the instruction to said cut-off circuit to stop the operation.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 7 , wherein

said voltage supply circuit comprises:

a first voltage generating circuit generating said first power supply voltage using an external input voltage; and

a second voltage generating circuit generating said second power supply voltage by stepping down said first power supply voltage.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 7 , wherein

said voltage supply circuit comprises:

a first voltage generating circuit generating said second power supply voltage using an external input voltage; and

a second voltage generating circuit generating said first power supply voltage by boosting said second power supply voltage.

Assignments (6)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2020
From: FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITED
To: FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY SOLUTION LIMITED
Reel/Frame 053195/0249 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Dec 23, 2016
From: FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITED
To: FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITED
Reel/Frame 041188/0401 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE'S ADDRESS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 024658 FRAME 0311. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Aug 18, 2010
From: FUJITSU MICROELECTRONICS LIMITED
To: FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITED
Reel/Frame 024943/0851 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 9, 2010
From: FUJITSU MICROELECTRONICS LIMITED
To: FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITED
Reel/Frame 024658/0311 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 11, 2008
From: FUJITSU LIMITED
To: FUJITSU MICROELECTRONICS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 021977/0219 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 5, 2007
From: ITO, SHINYA
To: FUJITSU LIMITED
Reel/Frame 018764/0452 →