IP Library Granted Patent US 12,622,321
Granted Patent B2
US 12,622,321 · App. 17/875,889 · Granted May 5, 2026

Semiconductor device including through-silicon via (TSV) test device and operating method thereof

Inventors: Youngkwang Lee (Seoul, KP); Sungho Kang (Seoul, KR)
Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, Yonsei University
H01L25/0657G01R19/16576H01L22/34H01L2225/06541H01L2225/06596
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,622,321
App. No.
17/875,889
Granted
May 5, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor system, a semiconductor device, a through-silicon via (TSV) test method, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device are provided. The semiconductor system includes a semiconductor device including a buffer die and first to L-th (where L is an integer greater than or equal to 2) stack dies stacked on the buffer die and communicating with the buffer die through N (where N is a positive integer) TSVs; and a TSV test device that measures each of voltages at one end and voltages at another end on the N TSVs according to a clock signal, compares each of the voltages at the one end and the voltages at the other end with a reference voltage, and determines whether each of the N TSVs has a plurality of TSV defect types according to comparison results.

Claims (50)

1 . A semiconductor system comprising:

a semiconductor device comprising a buffer die and first to L-th stack dies stacked on the buffer die and configured to communicate with the buffer die through N through-silicon vias (TSVs), wherein L is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and N is a positive integer; and

a TSV test device comprising:

a test circuit comprising a plurality of metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) directly connected to one end or another end of the N TSVs,

a control circuit configured to control a connection between the plurality of MOSFETs and a power supply voltage or a ground voltage, and

a detector circuit comprising a plurality of comparators,

wherein the control circuit is further configured to generate enable signals for testing the N TSVs,

wherein the test circuit is configured to measure each of voltages at the one end and voltages at the another end of the N TSVs according to a clock signal, and

wherein the detector circuit is configured to compare each of the voltages at the one end and the voltages at the another end with a reference voltage, and determine

whether each of the N TSVs has a plurality of TSV defect types according to comparison results,

wherein the TSV test device is further configured to test a first TSV included in the N TSVs for two or more different TSV defect types during one period of the clock signal.

2 . The semiconductor system of claim 1 , wherein the TSV test device is configured to determine the plurality of TSV defect types comprising:

during any one period of the clock signal, a first TSV defect type indicating that one of both ends of a TSV of the N TSVs is fixed to the power supply voltage, a second TSV defect type indicating that one of the both ends of the TSV is fixed to the ground voltage, a third TSV defect type indicating that a path between the both ends of the TSV is open, a fourth TSV defect type indicating that the path between the both ends of the TSV is resistively open, a fifth TSV defect type indicating that the TSV is electrically connected to another TSV, and a sixth TSV defect type indicating that an insulator between the TSV and a substrate is deteriorated and thus a current flows into the substrate.

3 . The semiconductor system of claim 2 , wherein the TSV test device is further configured to

measure a voltage at one end of the first TSV when the clock signal is 1, and

determine that the first TSV has a fault due to the first TSV defect type or the fifth TSV defect type when the voltage at the one end of the first TSV is greater than or equal to the reference voltage.

4 . The semiconductor system of claim 3 , wherein the TSV test device is further configured to

measure the voltage at the one end of the first TSV when the clock signal is 0, and

determine that the first TSV has a fault due to the second TSV defect type, the third TSV defect type, or the fourth TSV defect type when the voltage of the one end of the first TSV is less than the reference voltage.

5 . The semiconductor system of claim 4 , wherein the N TSVs comprise the first TSV and a second TSV spaced apart from the first TSV by a certain distance or more,

the TSV test device is further configured to measure a voltage at another end of the second TSV when the clock signal is 0, and when the voltage at the another end of the second TSV is less than the reference voltage, detect that the second TSV has a fault due to the sixth TSV defect type.

6 . The semiconductor system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit comprises a NAND gate, N D-flip-flops, and N XOR gates, and

the control circuit is further configured to control the plurality of MOSFETs using the N D-flip-flops such that the test circuit sequentially tests the N TSVs according to the clock signal.

7 . The semiconductor system of claim 6 , wherein the TSV test device comprises M test circuits connected in parallel, wherein M is greater than or equal to 2,

the control circuit and the detector circuit are shared by the M test circuits, and

the M test circuits test M TSVs respectively disposed in the M test circuits for two or more different TSV defect types during any one period of the clock signal.

8 . The semiconductor system of claim 1 , wherein the test circuit comprises a plurality of common MOSFETs and a plurality of common variable resistors commonly connected to the N TSVs, and the N TSVs share the clock signal based on the plurality of common MOSFETs.

9 . The semiconductor system of claim 8 , wherein, when an internal resistance value of one TSV included in the N TSVs is a target resistance value, a voltage value at the one end and a voltage value at the another end of the N TSVs are respectively set to be half of the power supply voltage by adjusting the plurality of common variable resistors, and

the target resistance value is a predetermined resistance value for determining a fault.

10 . A semiconductor device comprising:

at least two semiconductor chips electrically connected through at least one through-silicon via (TSV); and

a TSV test device arranged on at least one of the at least two semiconductor chips,

wherein the TSV test device is configured to

measure at least one test voltage provided by voltage division based on a signal output through the at least one TSV, and

detect whether the at least one TSV has first to third faults according to the at least one test voltage,

wherein the TSV test device comprises a voltage divider comprising an upper common zone, a TSV zone, and a lower common zone,

wherein the upper common zone is connected to each of a power supply voltage and an end of the at least one TSV and comprises a zeroth common resistor and a zeroth common P-channel metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS), and

wherein the TSV zone comprises the at least one TSV, a first N-type metal-oxide semiconductor (NMOS), and first and second PMOSs each directly connected to the at least one TSV,

the lower common zone is connected to each of a ground voltage and another end of the at least one TSV and comprises first and second common resistors, and first and second common NMOSs, and

the at least one test voltage is a PIN voltage corresponding to a voltage of a node connected to the zeroth common PMOS and the first NMOS, or a TSV voltage corresponding to a voltage of a node connected to the first and second common NMOSs in parallel and the second PMOS.

11 . The semiconductor device of claim 10 , wherein the TSV test device is further configured to

compare the at least one test voltage with a reference voltage, and

test whether the at least one TSV has the first fault corresponding to a bridge defect or a Stuck-at-1 fault; the second fault corresponding to an open defect, a resistive-open defect, or a Stuck-at-0 fault; or the third fault corresponding to a pinhole defect, according to a comparison result.

12 . The semiconductor device of claim 11 , wherein the TSV test device is further configured to

during any one period of a clock signal, test whether the at least one TSV has the first fault when the clock signal is 1, and

detect the first fault when the TSV voltage is greater than or equal to the reference voltage.

13 . The semiconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the at least one TSV comprises a first TSV and a second TSV, and

the TSV test device is further configured to

during any one period of the clock signal, simultaneously test whether the first TSV has the second fault and test whether the second TSV has the third fault when the clock signal is 0,

detect the second fault when the TSV voltage is less than the reference voltage, and detect the third fault when the PIN voltage is less than the reference voltage.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 29, 2022
From: LEE, YOUNGKWANG; KANG, SUNGHO
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.; INDUSTRY-ACADEMIC COOPERATION FOUNDATION, YONSEI UNIVERSITY
Reel/Frame 060664/0742 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2021-0117936 · Sep 3, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230070785A1 · Mar 9, 2023
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