Generic, orthogonal and low-cost March Element based memory BIST

This paper contributes to the field of MBIST architecture and implementation by addressing the two most area-critical components: the Command Memory (ComMem) and the Address Generator (AddrGen). The ComMem area is minimized by using a novel MBIST architecture, based on the Generic March Element (GME) concept. A GME is a March Element which specifies the required operations and the generic data values; it can be specified independent of the algorithm stresses. The AddrGen area is minimized by using an efficient implementation, based on a single Up-counter and a set of multiplexors. The experimental results show that the proposed MBIST outperforms the existing MBISTs in terms of area, power, speed, and flexibility. E.g., for a 16Kx16-bit memory, the proposed MBIST consumes about 40% less area and operates at least 1.6 times faster than the state-of-the art.