Title :
A testing technique to characterize E2PROM´s aging and endurance
Author :
Lanzoni, M. ; Olivo, P. ; Riccó, B.
Author_Institution :
DEIS, Bologna Univ., Italy
Abstract :
The authors present a testing method for monitoring E2PROM (electrically erasable programmable ROM) cell aging. The technique is not based on any particular assumption about cell technology: hence it can be used to characterize wearout dynamics in all cases in which charge trapped in tunnel oxide is the main failure mechanism. The method is validated by means of a wide set of measurements performed with automatic test equipment. The characterization can be directed to single cells, thus making it possible to study the main layout dependences of aging phenomena. Possible criticalities of the virgin devices (with respect to supply voltage temperature, etc.) can be determined. A procedure has been developed to extrapolate data obtained with a few programming cycles in order to obtain first-order estimates of the actual device endurance
Keywords :
EPROM; ageing; automatic test equipment; automatic testing; computer equipment testing; electron traps; failure analysis; hole traps; integrated circuit testing; integrated memory circuits; tunnelling; ATE; Si-SiO2; aging; automatic test equipment; data extrapolation; electrically erasable programmable ROM; endurance; failure mechanism; first-order estimates; floating gate; programming cycles; supply voltage; temperature; trapped charge; virgin devices; wearout dynamics; Aging; Automatic test equipment; Condition monitoring; Failure analysis; PROM; Performance evaluation; Read only memory; Temperature; Testing; Voltage;
Conference_Titel :
Test Conference, 1989. Proceedings. Meeting the Tests of Time., International
Conference_Location :
Washington, DC
DOI :
10.1109/TEST.1989.82323
