阅读说明：本技术 用于测试被试设备的基于处理器的测量方法及利用其的测量装置 (Processor-based measurement method for testing a device under test and measurement apparatus using the same ) 是由 金秉圭 金秉润 于 2018-06-07 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及用于测试具有多个端子的被试设备(DUT：device under test)的测量方法,具体而言,涉及用于测量诸如电子设备、半导体元件、电路模块、电路基板等装有电子电路的各种电子设备的功能及性能所需的手段,涉及一种为了与配备高价的各种硬件来运用的以往手段相比能够节省单价而处理器以软件方式支持测量的方法及利用其的装置。(The present invention relates to a measurement method for testing a Device Under Test (DUT) having a plurality of terminals, and more particularly, to a method for measuring functions and performance of various electronic devices equipped with electronic circuits, such as electronic devices, semiconductor elements, circuit modules, and circuit boards, and a method for supporting measurement by a processor in a software manner so as to save unit cost as compared with a conventional method in which expensive various hardware is provided for operation, and an apparatus using the method.)

1. A measurement method, which is a processor-based measurement method for testing a device under test having a plurality of terminals, comprising:

(a) a step in which the processor performs: (i) a processing task of obtaining a power setting signal and a switch setting signal, and (ii) a processing task of establishing a measurement mode table;

(b) after the measurement mode table is established, the processor transmits a measurement starting signal to the bus regulator, so that the bus regulator opens a bus; and

(c) step, wherein, after the bus is opened, the processor executes: (i) processing tasks for measuring the device under test in the following manner: the measurement mode table, the power setting signal, and the switch setting signal are loaded on the bus together with a measurement serial number, so that the measurement mode table, the switch setting signal, and the power setting signal are transmitted to a tester channel, a switching regulator, and a power supply, respectively, so that the tester channel applies a mode signal based on the measurement mode table to the device under test, the power supply applies a power voltage based on the power setting signal to the device under test, and the switching regulator adjusts a switch between the tester channel and the device under test according to the switch setting signal.

2. The measurement method according to claim 1, further comprising:

(d) a step in which, after the measurement is completed, the processor executes: (i) a process task that initializes the power setting signal and the switch setting signal, and (ii) a process task that communicates a measurement completion signal to the bus regulator, thereby causing the bus regulator to shut down the bus.

3. The measuring method according to claim 1,

in the step (b), a communication port of a communication unit connected to the bus is opened by the communication unit receiving the measurement start signal,

in the step (c), measurement data obtained from the device under test by means of the measurement is transferred to the communication section through the bus.

4. The measurement method according to claim 3,

while performing the measurement in the (c) step,

at least one part of the signals transferred by loading on the bus meets at least one of the following conditions: (1) real-time recording in a memory or a predetermined storage device, and (2) being stored by an external device through the communication section.

5. The measuring method according to claim 1,

the measurement pattern table is obtained from a measurement program or an external file by means of the processor, or is generated in software by a software module running by means of the processor.

6. The measuring method according to claim 1,

in the step (a), the step (c),

the power setting signal, the switch setting signal and the measurement mode table are stored in a memory,

in the step (c),

the power setting signal, the switch setting signal and the measurement mode table stored in the memory are loaded on the bus together with the measurement serial number.

7. The measuring method according to claim 1,

in the (c) step, the measurements comprise individual measurements performed by one or more meters including at least one of parametric and analog meters.

8. The measuring method according to claim 1,

in the (c) step, if measurement data obtained from the device under test by performing the analog measurement on the device under test is transferred to the processor as a result of the analog measurement through the bus regulator, the processor calculates a characteristic value of an analog signal from the measurement data by a software module run by means of the processor.

9. The measurement method according to claim 8,

the characteristic value of the analog signal includes at least one of accuracy, resolution, dynamic range, offset error, gain error, differential nonlinearity, and integral nonlinearity.

10. The measuring method according to claim 1,

in the (c) step, the measuring includes a measurement of a leakage current, and if a time required for leakage of the leakage current is measured, the processor performs a processing task of converting the time required for leakage into the leakage current by a software module executed by means of the processor, thereby measuring the leakage current.

11. The measurement method according to claim 10,

if the time required for measuring a voltage change with respect to a preset voltage change amount is measured for a measurement terminal connected to the device under test, time data as a measurement result of the required time is transmitted to the processor through the bus regulator, and the processor measures the leakage current by means of a calculation in which a capacitance value of the measurement terminal set in advance and the voltage change amount are constant.

12. A measurement method, which is a processor-based measurement method for testing a device under test having a plurality of terminals, comprising:

(a) a step in which the processor performs for a specific measurement: (i) a processing task of obtaining a power setting signal and a switch setting signal, and (ii) a processing task of establishing a measurement mode table;

(b) step, wherein, after the measurement mode table is established, the processor executes: (i) performing the processing task of the specific measurement on the device under test in the following manner: loading the measurement mode table, the power setting signal, and the switch setting signal on a bus together with a measurement serial number, so that the measurement mode table, the switch setting signal, and the power setting signal are transmitted to a tester channel, a switching regulator, and a power supply, respectively, so that the tester channel applies a mode signal based on the measurement mode table to the device under test, the power supply applies a power supply voltage based on the power setting signal to the device under test, and the switching regulator adjusts a switch between the tester channel and the device under test according to the switch setting signal; and

(c) a step in which, if measurement data is obtained from the device under test by means of the measurement, the processor compares a measurement value, which is (i) the measurement data or (ii) a value calculated from the measurement data by a software module run by means of the processor, with an expected value based on the specific measurement, thereby determining whether the device under test is defective.

13. The measurement method according to claim 12,

the (c) step includes (c1) a step of, in the (c1) step, calculating the measurement value from the measurement data by the software module if calculation by the software module is required in order to obtain the measurement value, and using the measurement data as the measurement value if calculation by the software module is not required, thereby determining whether the device under test is defective,

the (c) step further includes a (c0) step before the (c1) step, and in the (c0) step, the processor starts repeating the (a) to (c) steps for another measurement different from the specific measurement.

14. A measurement apparatus, which is a processor-based measurement apparatus for testing a device under test having a plurality of terminals, comprising:

the processor executes a processing task of acquiring a power supply setting signal and a switch setting signal and a processing task of establishing a measurement mode table, and generates a measurement starting signal after the measurement mode table is established;

a bus connected with the processor;

a bus regulator which opens the bus if the measurement start signal is received from the processor;

at least one tester channel applying a mode signal based on the measurement mode table obtained as a result of being loaded on the bus to the device under test;

a switch interposed between the tester channel and the device under test;

a power supply applying a power supply voltage based on the power supply setting signal obtained as a result of being loaded on the bus to the device under test; and

a switching regulator that regulates the switch according to the switch setting signal obtained as a result of being loaded on the bus, and

if the bus is open, the processor loads the measurement mode table, the power setting signal and the switch setting signal on the bus together with a measurement serial number and transmits the measurement serial number to the tester channel, the switch regulator and the power supply, so as to perform measurement on the device under test.

15. The measurement arrangement according to claim 14,

if the measurement is complete, the processor performs: (i) initializing the power setting signal and the switch setting signal; and (ii) communicating an end-of-measurement signal to the bus regulator, thereby causing the bus regulator to shut down processing tasks of the bus.

16. The measurement arrangement according to claim 14,

the measuring device further comprises a communication section connected to the bus,

the communication unit is configured to: opening a communication port of the communication section if the measurement start signal is received from the processor,

measurement data obtained from the device under test by means of the measurement is transferred to the communication section through the bus.

17. The measurement device of claim 16,

when the measurement is to be performed, the measurement is performed,

at least one part of the signals transferred by loading on the bus meets at least one of the following conditions: (1) recorded in real time in a memory or a predetermined storage device included in the measuring device, and (2) stored by an external device through the communication unit.

18. The measurement arrangement according to claim 14,

the measurement pattern table is obtained from a measurement program or an external file by means of the processor, or is generated in software by a software module running by means of the processor.

19. The measurement arrangement according to claim 14,

the measuring device further comprises a memory for storing the power setting signal, the switch setting signal and the measurement mode table,

the power setting signal, the switch setting signal and the measurement mode table are loaded on the bus together with the measurement serial number from the memory.

20. The measurement arrangement according to claim 14,

the measuring device further comprises more than one measuring device, the more than one measuring device comprises at least one of a parametric measuring device and an analog measuring device which are connected with the tested equipment through the switch,

the measurements performed include individual measurements performed by the one or more meters.

21. The measurement arrangement according to claim 14,

if measurement data obtained from the device under test by performing an analog measurement of the device under test is transferred to the processor as a result of the analog measurement via the bus regulator, the processor calculates a characteristic value of an analog signal from the measurement data by a software module run by means of the processor.

22. The measurement arrangement according to claim 14,

the measurements performed include measurements of leakage current,

if the time required for the leakage of the leakage current is measured, the processor executes a processing task of transforming the time required for the leakage into the leakage current by a software module run by means of the processor, thereby measuring the leakage current.

23. The measurement device of claim 22,

if the time required for measuring a voltage change with respect to a preset voltage change amount is measured for a measurement terminal connected to the device under test, time data as a measurement result of the required time is transmitted to the processor through the bus regulator, and the processor measures the leakage current by means of a calculation in which a capacitance value of the measurement terminal set in advance and the voltage change amount are constant.

24. The measurement arrangement according to claim 14,

the measuring device further comprises an auxiliary processor different from the processor,

the auxiliary processor performs at least a portion of the functions to be performed by means of the processor in place of the processor.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a measurement method for testing a Device Under Test (DUT) having a plurality of terminals, and more particularly, to a method for measuring functions and performance of various electronic devices equipped with electronic circuits, such as electronic devices, semiconductor elements, circuit modules, and circuit boards, and a method for supporting measurement by a processor in a software manner so as to save unit cost as compared with a conventional method using expensive various hardware, and an apparatus using the method.

Background

The measurement device is employed in combination with a microcontroller (or microprocessor) that directs the preparation of measurements for a Device Under Test (DUT) and the execution of measurement programs, and various modules (or meters) that actually execute it.

Fig. 1 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating a conventional exemplary measuring apparatus for testing a device under test, particularly a measuring apparatus such as that disclosed in U.S. patent publication No. 6,028,439.

According to a conventional measuring means, a measuring apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,028,439 includes: a microcontroller (microprocessor) 110, a pattern generator (PAT GEN)120 for generating a measurement pattern (pattern), a leakage current measuring Device (LCTU)125 for measuring a leakage current, a power supply (Device PowerSupply)180 for supplying a voltage to a Device under test, a Parameter Measuring Unit (PMU)190 for measuring a signal characteristic, a clock generating Period generator (Period GEN; not shown), and the like.

In this measurement method, a micro controller (microcontroller)110 is responsible for measurement instruction and control, and measurement is performed by an expensive physical measurement device, which increases the volume of the measurement device, resulting in a disadvantage of increased manufacturing cost.

As another example of a measuring apparatus intended to compensate for such a drawback, a measuring apparatus of national instruments has a configuration as shown in fig. 2, is provided with a PC (personal computer) independently of a digital tester serving as a measurement, and selectively utilizes a scheme of comparing an output signal of a device under test measured by the digital tester with an expected value by application software running on the PC.

However, this method has a problem that real-time comparison and analysis of measurement results are difficult due to a delay time in the process of transferring measurement data to a PC and storing the measurement data in a memory by a digital tester, a delay time in the process of reading stored data by application software and performing data comparison, a delay time caused by application software driving, and the like, and is not suitable for high-speed measurement. Therefore, for real-time data comparison, it is recommended to separately equip a physical data comparator device for use.

In addition, in the case of the measuring apparatus of the national instruments company, since the means of replacing the physical measuring instrument with the application software is limited to data comparison, there is a limit in miniaturization of the measuring apparatus and reduction of the manufacturing cost only with the corresponding methodology.

Disclosure of Invention

(problems to be solved by the invention)

In order to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel measurement method, which eliminates a conventional measurement method using an independent physical means required for measurement, comparison, and analysis of pattern generation, leakage current, analog signals, and the like, and enables a microprocessor to be connected to pattern generation operation, real-time data conversion, and analysis operation in real time, instead of using physical measurement modules such as a pattern generator, a leakage current measurement device, and an analog signal processing device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a measuring device capable of accumulating and checking instruction data outputted from a microprocessor, measurement data generated during a measurement process, a final determination result, analysis data, and the like in real time. In other words, it is still another object of the present invention to provide a means for allowing a user to analyze a measurement process and its result at any time, regardless of whether the measurement is in progress or after the measurement is completed, and to provide a support for analyzing the cause of the malfunction of a measurement object and/or precisely checking the level of the result.

(measures taken to solve the problems)

The characteristic configuration of the present invention for achieving the above-described object of the present invention and achieving the characteristic effects of the present invention described later is as follows.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processor-based measurement method for testing a Device Under Test (DUT) having a plurality of terminals, the measurement method including: (a) a step in which the processor performs: (i) a processing task of obtaining a power setting signal and a switch setting signal, and (ii) a processing task of establishing a measurement mode table; (b) after the measurement mode table is established, the processor transmits a measurement starting signal to the bus regulator, so that the bus regulator opens a bus; and (c), after the bus is opened, the processor executes: (i) processing tasks for measuring the device under test in the following manner: the measurement mode table, the power setting signal, and the switch setting signal are loaded on the bus together with a measurement serial number, and the measurement mode table, the switch setting signal, and the power setting signal are transmitted to a tester channel, a switching regulator, and a power supply, respectively, so that the tester channel applies a mode signal based on the measurement mode table to the device under test, the power supply applies a power voltage based on the power setting signal to the device under test, and the switching regulator adjusts a switch between the tester channel and the device under test according to the switch setting signal.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processor-based measurement method for testing a device under test having a plurality of terminals, the measurement method comprising: (a) a step in which the processor performs for a specific measurement: (i) a processing task of obtaining a power setting signal and a switch setting signal, and (ii) a processing task of establishing a measurement mode table; (b) step, wherein, after the measurement mode table is established, the processor executes: (i) performing the processing task of the specific measurement on the device under test in the following manner: loading the measurement mode table, the power setting signal, and the switch setting signal on a bus together with a measurement serial number, so that the measurement mode table, the switch setting signal, and the power setting signal are transmitted to a tester channel, a switching regulator, and a power supply, respectively, so that the tester channel applies a mode signal based on the measurement mode table to the device under test, the power supply applies a power supply voltage based on the power setting signal to the device under test, and the switching regulator adjusts a switch between the tester channel and the device under test according to the switch setting signal; and (c) a step in which, if measurement data is obtained from the device under test by means of the measurement, the processor compares a measurement value with an expected value based on the specific measurement to determine whether the device under test is defective, wherein the measurement value is (i) the measurement data or (ii) a value calculated from the measurement data by a software module run by means of the processor.

Wherein the step (c) of the measuring method may preferably include a step (c1) of calculating the measured value from the measurement data by the software module if calculation by the software module is required in order to obtain the measured value, and using the measurement data as the measured value by the processor if calculation by the software module is not required, thereby determining whether the device under test is defective; the step (c) may further include a step (c0) before the step (c1), and in the step (c0), the processor starts to repeat the steps (a) to (c) in order to perform another measurement different from the specific measurement.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processor-based measurement apparatus for testing a device under test having a plurality of terminals, the measurement apparatus comprising: the processor executes a processing task of acquiring a power supply setting signal and a switch setting signal and a processing task of establishing a measurement mode table, and generates a measurement starting signal after the measurement mode table is established; a bus connected with the processor; a bus regulator which opens the bus if the measurement start signal is received from the processor; at least one tester channel that applies a mode signal based on the measurement mode table obtained as a result of being loaded on the bus to the device under test; a switch interposed between the tester channel and the device under test; a power supply applying a power supply voltage based on the power supply setting signal obtained as a result of being loaded on the bus to the device under test; and a switching regulator which regulates the switch according to the switch setting signal obtained by being loaded on the bus, and if the bus is open, the processor loads the measurement mode table, the power setting signal and the switch setting signal on the bus together with a measurement serial number and transmits them to the tester channel, the switching regulator and the power supply, thereby performing measurement on the device under test.

(Effect of the invention)

According to the present invention, a software-based measurement method is provided which can replace a conventional measurement method having a high degree of hardware dependence, and thus the hardware weight of the measurement device is reduced, and the device is miniaturized and the manufacturing cost thereof is reduced.

In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a function capable of analyzing and storing various signals and results generated during measurement in real time by using the performance of the processor and the communication unit, which has been dramatically developed in recent performance. Therefore, the function of the measuring device staying in the measurement in the past can be expanded to the field of real-time data analysis.

Drawings

The following drawings attached for the purpose of illustrating embodiments of the present invention are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains (hereinafter, referred to as "ordinary skill") may obtain other drawings based on the drawings without inventive operation.

Figure 1 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating a previous example measurement device for testing a Device Under Test (DUT).

Fig. 2 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating an exemplary measuring instrument of National Instruments (National Instruments) aiming at reducing the volume and saving the manufacturing cost of a conventional measuring apparatus such as the measuring apparatus shown in fig. 1.

FIG. 3a is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a processor-based measurement device for testing a device under test having a plurality of terminals in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3b is a block diagram showing another embodiment of a processor-based measurement apparatus for testing a device under test having a plurality of terminals in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a flow chart exemplarily showing a processor-based measurement method for testing a device under test having a plurality of terminals according to the present invention.

Fig. 5a is a flow chart exemplarily showing a modification of sequentially performing leakage current measurement and signal measurement in the course of executing a processor-based measurement method for testing a device under test having a plurality of terminals according to the present invention.

Fig. 5b is a flow chart exemplarily showing a modification of performing leakage current measurement and signal measurement in combination in the course of executing a processor-based measurement method for testing a device under test having a plurality of terminals according to the present invention.

Detailed Description

In order to make the objects, aspects and advantages of the present invention more apparent, reference is made to the following detailed description of the present invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention.

In the detailed description of the invention and the claims, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" and variations thereof do not exclude other technical features, additives, components or steps. Additional objects, advantages and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The following examples and figures are provided as examples and are not intended to limit the present invention.

Further, the present invention covers all possible combinations of the embodiments shown in the present specification. The various embodiments of the invention, although different from each other, are understood not to be necessarily mutually exclusive. For example, particular shapes, structures and characteristics described herein may be associated with one embodiment and may be embodied in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. It is to be understood that the position and arrangement of the individual components in the embodiments disclosed may be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims and all ranges equivalent to the contents of the claims if they can be appropriately described. In the drawings, like numerals refer to the same or similar functionality in many respects.

Where the context does not otherwise dictate or clearly contradict, items referred to in the singular are intended to be encompassed by the plural as long as the context does not otherwise dictate. In describing the present invention, detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted when it is judged that specific descriptions of related well-known configurations or functions may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in order that those skilled in the art can easily practice the invention.

Fig. 3a is a block diagram showing one embodiment of a processor-based measuring apparatus for testing a device under test having a plurality of terminals according to the present invention, and fig. 3b is a block diagram showing another embodiment of a processor-based measuring apparatus for testing a device under test having a plurality of terminals according to the present invention.

If referring to FIG. 3a, the processor-based measurement device of the present invention comprises: a processor (processor)310, a bus (bus) connected to the processor 310, a bus regulator 330, a communication section 350 connected to the bus, at least one tester channel (tester channel)360, a switch (switch)375, a switch regulator 370, and a power supply 380. The measurement device of the present invention may further include at least one of a memory 340, a Parameter Measuring Unit (PMU)390, and an Analog Measuring Unit (AMU)395, as necessary.

To roughly describe the measuring apparatus in order to describe the measuring method of the present invention, first, the processor 310 is a component for performing the measuring, calculating, determining and analyzing functions in the measuring method of the present invention, and the software module 320 is a component for performing the functions by being operated by the processor 310. The bus transfers data between the individual components included in the measuring device by loading the data on digital signals, and the opening and closing of the bus is adjusted by the bus adjuster 330. The memory 340 performs a function of storing signals required for measurement or storing measurement data obtained as a result of measurement. The communication unit 350 transmits a signal to an external device in order to store at least a part of the signal loaded on the bus to be transmitted in the external device. The processor 310 may adjust the opening and closing of the communication port of the communication section 350 in response to the start and end of the measurement, and at the same time, may instruct the bus adjuster 330 to adjust the opening and closing of the bus in response to the start and end of the measurement. The tester channel 360 may apply an input signal to the device under test 200 to obtain an output signal. A switch 375 may be disposed between the tester channel 360 and the terminal of the device under test 200, and the switch regulator 370 may regulate the opening and closing of the switch 375 according to a switch setting signal. The power supply 380 applies a power voltage to the device under test 200 according to a power setting signal. The parameter meter 390 performs a function of measuring a voltage and a current of a power supply terminal or a specific signal terminal of the device under test, and the analog meter 395 performs a function of measuring an analog signal described later.

The function of these constituent elements of the measuring device of the present invention will be described in more detail below.

Referring to fig. 3b, the processor-based measurement device of the present invention may also include an additional auxiliary processor 315 in addition to the processor 310.

A flow of performing measurement by such a measurement apparatus of the present invention is explained in detail with reference to fig. 4, and fig. 4 is a flow chart exemplarily showing a processor-based measurement method (hereinafter referred to as "measurement method") of the present invention for testing a device under test having a plurality of terminals.

Referring to fig. 4, the measurement method of the present invention includes the steps of the processor 310 performing (i) a process S410a of obtaining a power setting signal and a switch setting signal and (ii) a process S410b of creating a measurement mode table (table) { S410 (not shown in the figure): s410a, S410b }.

Preferably, the measurement mode table may be imported from a measurement program or an external file by means of the processor 310, or generated in software by a software module 320 running by means of the processor 310.

Among them, in one embodiment of generating the measurement pattern table by the software module 320 program run by the processor 310, particularly the pattern generating unit 322 of the software module 320, for example, in the case where the device under test is a memory chip, as the measurement pattern for testing the same, an algorithm for generating a March X pattern, which is one of the test patterns for a memory cell array (cell array) composed of 5 addresses, and a pattern table generated by applying the algorithm will be described below.

The memory cell check sequence of the March X mode is as follows. First, after recording the entire memory cell array as 0, it is sequentially checked whether or not the data of each cell is 0, and then data 1 is recorded. After this process is finished, the data of the entire cell array is changed to 1. Then, after sequentially confirming whether or not the data of each cell is 1, data 0 is recorded. This mode is one of modes widely used for checking a memory cell, and is well known to those skilled in the art, and is used to confirm whether data of a peripheral cell is damaged or not or whether data of a specific cell is damaged or not in a process of reading or writing data different from that of the peripheral cell to the specific cell.

The algorithm of the above-described unfolding process is briefly described as follows.

The first step is as follows: when 0 is recorded in all the cells by designating the address of the first cell, and recording 0 in the first cell, WE (Write Enable) and OE (Output Enable) signals for controlling the memory are held in ON (On) and OFF (Off) states, respectively. Where WE is a signal that allows data to be recorded to the memory cell and OE is a signal that allows data to be read from the memory cell.

The second step is as follows: the address of the first cell is designated, data 0 is read, data 1 is recorded, the addresses are sequentially incremented until the last cell, data 0 is read, and data 1 is recorded. At this time, the OE and WE signals are repeatedly turned On-Off (On-Off) and turned Off-On (Off-On), respectively.

The third step: the address of the last cell is designated, data 1 is read, data 0 is recorded, the addresses are sequentially reduced until the first cell, data 1 is read, and data 0 is recorded. At this time, the OE and WE signals are repeatedly turned On-Off (On-Off) and turned Off-On (Off-On), respectively.

The fourth step: the address of the last cell is specified, data 0 is read, the address is decremented, and data 0 is read from all cells. At this time, the WE and OE signals are kept in an OFF (Off) state and an ON (On) state, respectively.

According to the aforementioned algorithm, an example of each step mode table derived by the mode generating section 322 of the software module 320 running by means of the processor 310 is listed below, and each mode field (field) is composed of a sequence, an address, data, a control signal, and a clock. Here, the program of the software module 320 is run in a general operating system environment such as Linux or Windows, and thus a detailed description thereof is omitted.

[ Table 1]

[ Table 2]

[ Table 3]

[ Table 4]

The pattern thus derived is not transmitted directly to the tester channel 360 through the bus regulator 330 without passing through a pattern generator (not shown) unlike the conventional method, and at this time, the power setting signal and the switch setting signal are also transmitted together, and the signal based on this is applied to the device under test 200 through the power supply 380 and the switch regulator 370, so as to implement the measurement of the present invention, and the detailed flow thereof is as described later.

Preferably, in step S410, the power setting signal, the switch setting signal, and the measurement mode table may be stored in the memory 340 of the measurement apparatus 300.

If referring again to fig. 4, the measurement method of the present invention further comprises: step S420, after the measurement mode table is established, in which the processor 310 transmits a measurement start signal to the bus regulator 330 and the communication unit 350, so that the bus regulator 330 opens the bus and the communication port of the communication unit 350 connected to the bus is opened.

Then, the measuring method of the present invention further includes a step S430 (not shown in the figure): s430a and S430b, in the step S430, after the bus and the communication port of the communication unit 350 are opened, the processor 310 executes (i) a processing task S430a of loading the measurement mode table, the power supply setting signal, and the switch setting signal on the bus together with the measurement serial number, and transmitting the measurement mode table, the switch setting signal, and the power supply setting signal to the tester channel 360, the switching regulator 370, and the power supply 380, respectively, to perform measurement on the device under test, and (ii) a processing task S430b of supporting transmission of measurement data obtained from the device under test by the measurement to the communication unit 350 via the bus.

The "measurement" referred to herein may include individual measurements performed by at least one of the meters including the parameter meter 390, the analog meter 395, and the like.

Specifically, the processing task S430a is performed in such a manner that the tester channel 360 applies a mode signal based on the measurement mode table to the device under test, the power supply 380 applies a power supply voltage based on the power supply setting signal to the device under test, and the switching regulator 370 regulates the switch 375 between the tester channel 360 and the device under test according to the switch setting signal.

In the embodiment where the power setting signal, the switch setting signal, and the measurement mode table are stored in the memory 340, in step S430, the measurement mode table stored in the memory 340, the power setting signal, and the switch setting signal may be loaded on the bus from the memory 340 together with the measurement serial number.

On the other hand, another processing task S430b is for real-time storage of measurement information that is a technical feature of the measuring method and measuring apparatus of the present invention.

That is, the present invention is still another feature in that measurement information is provided in real time in order to analyze the cause of a failure of a device under test. The information of the measurement mode table generated by means of the processor 310 and the indication information related thereto, such as the power setting signal and the switch setting signal, the measurement sequence number, are loaded on the bus and transferred to the tester channel 360 through the bus regulator 330. In addition, the measurement results collected at the tester channel 360 are transferred to the processor 310 via the bus regulator 330 via the bus. The bus regulator 330 is opened in response to the start of measurement and closed in response to the end of measurement, as instructed by the processor 310. In this manner, signals from and to the beginning to the end of the measurement and the measurement sequence number of the measurement program are loaded on the bus, and these signals may be recorded in the memory 340 in real time or may be stored in an external server through the communication unit 350.

In summary, in performing the measurement of the present invention, at least a part of the signals transmitted by being loaded on the bus may be (1) recorded in real time in the memory 340 or a predetermined storage device, or (2) saved by an external device through the communication unit 350, for example, saved by a data server. Of course, the above (1) and (2) may coexist.

Then, the measuring method of the present invention has another feature in that the processor 310 may calculate a characteristic value of the analog signal from the measurement data.

Specifically, in contrast to the conventional analog measurement device which is generally composed of a measurement unit and an arithmetic unit, in the present invention, in step S430, the tester channel 360 or the tester channel 360 and the analog measurement device 395 are responsible for analog measurement of the device under test 200, measurement data of the measurement is transmitted to the processor 310 via the bus controller 330, the processor 310 calculates a characteristic value of an analog signal required for the arithmetic operation from the received measurement data, and the data arithmetic unit 326 of the software module 220 operated by the processor 310 can be responsible for the calculation.

The characteristic value of the analog signal may include, but is not limited to, at least one of accuracy (accuracy), resolution (resolution), dynamic range (dynamic range), offset error (offset error), gain error (gain error), differential nonlinearity (differential nonlinearity), and integral nonlinearity (integral nonlinearity), which can be understood by those skilled in the art.

The process of simulating the measurement is illustrated in more detail as follows. First, before measurement, a digital signal is applied to the device under test 200 through the tester channel 360, thereby setting the device under test 200 in a standby (standby) state. The measurement process can then be developed in two ways, for example, based on a combination of input and output signals applied to the device under test 200.

First, in digital input-analog output, a digital signal is input to the device under test 200 through the corresponding tester channel 360, and an analog tester (AMU)395 obtains an analog signal output from the device under test 200. The analog measuring device 395 converts the measured analog signal into a digital signal, transmits the measurement data as the conversion result to the processor 310, and the data operation unit 326 of the software module 320 operated by the processor 310 performs the comparison operation between the measurement data and the expected value, extracts the characteristic value of the analog signal as described above, checks whether the corresponding specification is satisfied, and determines whether the device under test 200 is good or not.

Second, in the case of analog input-digital output, an analog signal is applied to the device under test 200 by the analog detector 395, and in response to this, a digital signal output from the device under test 200 is transmitted as measurement data to the processor 310 through the tester channel 360. The data operation unit 326 of the software module 320 operated by the processor 310 performs a comparison operation between the measurement data and an expected value, extracts a characteristic value of the analog signal, and checks whether or not the corresponding specification is satisfied, thereby performing a determination of the quality of the device under test 200.

In addition, the measuring method of the present invention has another feature in that the current-time conversion section 324 included in the software module 320 operated by means of the processor 310 can perform the measurement of the leakage current.

Specifically, since the magnitude of the leakage current is proportional to the time during which the amount of charge (discharge) charged in the measurement terminal of the device under test flows out, assuming that the voltage applied to the measurement terminal is V, the capacitance of the measurement terminal is C, and the current is I, I ═ dQ/dt ═ C ═ dV/dt, that is, the amount of change in the voltage (or the amount of change in charging and discharging) and the amount of change in the time required for the change can be measured to calculate the leakage current. Alternatively, the voltage applied to the resistor when the current flows may be measured from i ═ V/R. In such an indirect current measurement method, calculation of measurement data is required, and the current-time converter of the present invention performs such a function.

The leakage current measurement process is illustrated in more detail as follows. First, the processor 310 applies a control signal to the device under test 200 through the tester channel 360, thereby setting the device under test 200 to a standby (standby) state and applying a predetermined voltage (first voltage) to the terminals of the device under test 200. Tester channel 360 then switches to a state in which the output of tester channel 360 is placed in an off (off) state, i.e., to a Hi-Z state, and at the same time, the aforementioned time measurement begins. The tester channel 360 determines the time required for the voltage variation applied to the device under test 200 due to the leakage current at the terminals of the device under test 200 to reach the reference voltage (second voltage), and transfers the time data to the processor 310. The processor 310 receiving the transfer of the time data may calculate the leakage current using the aforementioned current relation on the basis of constants predetermined in the measurement design step, that is, the capacity of the capacitor connected to the terminal of the device under test 200, the applied voltage (first voltage), the reference voltage (second voltage), and the required time.

In summary, in the present invention, in order to measure the leakage current in the tester channel 360, if the time required for the voltage change with respect to the voltage change amount set in advance is measured with respect to the measurement terminal connected to the device under test, the time data as the measurement result of the required time is transmitted to the processor 310 via the bus regulator 330, and the processor 310 may calculate the leakage current from the received time data with the capacitance value of the measurement terminal set in the step of designing in advance and the voltage change amount as constants.

With regard to the measurement of the present invention, after the time required for leakage of the leakage current is measured in step S430 of an embodiment of the measurement method of the present invention including the measurement of the leakage current, the processor 310 performs a processing task of converting the time required for leakage into the leakage current through the software module 320 executed by means of the processor 310, so that the leakage current can be measured.

Then, if referring to fig. 4, the measurement method of the present invention may further include: step { S440 (not shown in the figure): s440a, S440b }, wherein, after the measurement is completed, the processor 310 performs: (i) a process task S440a for initializing the power setting signal and the switch setting signal, and (ii) a process task S440b for transmitting a measurement completion signal to the bus regulator 330 and the communication unit 350, thereby closing the bus and the communication port of the communication unit 350 via the bus regulator 330. Thus, a flow of the measuring method of the present invention ends.

The measurement method of the present invention may be constituted by a series of measurement-continuous procedures for the device under test 200.

For the general apparatus under test 200, particularly for the measurement of semiconductors, centered on the items listed in the following table 5, approximately one hundred more programs are executed, and it can be easily understood by the ordinary skilled person that the "program" corresponds to the term "test vector" which is often used in the art to which the present invention pertains.

[ Table 5]

As briefly described with reference to table 5, the measurement of the leakage current may be performed by 2 procedures according to the power supply and ground directivity, respectively.

The Scan (Scan) is a "logic measurement circuit" which is particularly added to measure the presence or absence of a failure in a logic circuit in a semiconductor chip, and is composed of several tens of circuits, and the Scan (Scan) measurement program may be composed of several tens of programs in accordance with this. The Scan (Scan) is not required for a semiconductor function, but is a dedicated circuit that is added for the purpose of purely measuring an abnormality of a logic circuit, and occupies approximately 10% of a semiconductor area. The reason why the burden of increasing the chip area and the manufacturing cost is not considered is that a Scan (Scan) circuit is included in the chip design because the number of semiconductor function test items increases infinitely when the Scan (Scan) circuit is not provided, and it is difficult to find out a circuit abnormality caused by a defect in the semiconductor process. For example, in the case of a communication chip having more than 1 hundred million transistors, driving all the transistors to check the presence or absence of an abnormality results in an operation of increasing the number of functional tests infinitely, which leads to an increase in manufacturing cost.

Furthermore, BiST is a "memory measurement circuit" that is installed in particular to measure whether or not there is a failure in a memory circuit inside a chip, and hundreds of memories are installed inside a normal chip. With such a measurement circuit, the chip area is slightly increased, but when there is no BiST circuit like scanning (Scan), an infinite number of measurement procedures are required, and the measurement time becomes a huge burden.

The simulation measurement is usually composed of several programs, depending on the design of the device under test, and the operation function measurement (functional) is a direct function test of a circuit used for embodying an actual function of the device under test, and is usually applied by being composed of several tens of measurement programs.

On the other hand, the input-output voltage measurement, the DUT dynamic/static current measurement, is also made up of several programs.

Fig. 5a is a flowchart exemplarily showing a modification (hereinafter, referred to as "sequential measurement mode") of sequentially performing leakage current measurement and signal measurement in performing a processor-based measurement method for testing a device under test having a plurality of terminals according to the present invention, and fig. 5b is a flowchart exemplarily showing a modification (hereinafter, referred to as "combined measurement mode") of performing leakage current measurement and signal measurement in combination in performing a processor-based measurement method for testing a device under test having a plurality of terminals according to the present invention.

Here, the measurement of the signal corresponds to items 3 to 5, 7, and 8 among the items shown in table 5, and in this specification, the measurement of the digital signal or the analog signal is referred to. The signal measurement program responsible for the signal measurement refers to a program that is created by a person skilled in the art according to the language of the measurement device based on a test vector composed of input signal information and measurement conditions provided by a chip designer and expected values. The expected value here refers to information on what kind of response output the device under test will make for a given input signal, and in the case of signal measurement, states such as "0", "1", "Hi-Z", and in the case of parametric measurement, corresponds to information on what kind of range it will have spread. In the present invention, good product determination means that if such expected value matches the measured value, it is determined as good, and if not, it is determined as defective.

However, the Parameter Measurement Unit (PMU)190 measures what value the voltage or current has, but not a predetermined value, and for good product determination based on this, if the measured value is within the specification (upper limit and/or lower limit) satisfied, it is determined as a good product, and if the measured value exceeds the specification, it is determined as a defective product.

On the other hand, the measurement of the leakage current is performed for all the input/output terminals of the device under test, and the leakage current of only the input/output terminals is checked without measuring the internal circuits of the device under test, and is different from the signal measurement for which circuits the internal circuits of the device under test are measured, that is, for which measurement program is applied, and various terminals are used.

Based on the description, the sequential measurement method and the combined measurement method will be described with reference to fig. 5a and 5 b.

The sequential measurement method is a general measurement method in which, when a series of measurement continuous procedures are performed, one measurement is completed and then the next measurement is sequentially performed.

Referring to fig. 5a, which shows a process in which the measurement of the leakage current and the measurement of the digital (or analog) signal are performed sequentially according to a sequential measurement method, the processor 310 instructs and sets the operating conditions of the measuring device after the leakage current measurement procedure is started, and the measuring device such as the tester channel, the parameter measuring device, or the analog measuring device applies a signal to the device under test 200, receives the output data, and transmits the output data to the processor 310. The processor 310 initializes the measurement device that has completed measurement, and performs calculation and determination of whether or not there is a defect based on the obtained output data. The processor 310 then begins measurement of the digital (or analog) signal.

In summary, the first measurement method based on the sequential measurement method includes: a first step in which the processor performs, for a specific measurement, (i) a process task of obtaining a power setting signal and a switch setting signal and (ii) a process task of establishing a measurement pattern table; a second step in which, after the measurement mode table is established, the processor performs (i) loading the measurement mode table, the power setting signal and the switch setting signal on the bus together with a measurement serial number so that the measurement mode table, the switch setting signal and the power setting signal are respectively transmitted to a tester channel, a switching regulator and a power supply, thereby causing the tester channel to apply a mode signal based on the measurement mode table to the device under test, causing the power supply to apply a power supply voltage based on the power supply setting signal to the device under test, causing the switching regulator to regulate a switch between the tester channel and the device under test according to the switch setting signal, in this way, the processor performs a processing task for the device under test to make the specific measurement; and a third step in which, after obtaining measurement data from the device under test by means of the measurement, the processor compares the measurement value with an expected value based on the specific measurement to determine whether the device under test is defective, wherein the measurement value is (i) the measurement data or (ii) a value calculated from the measurement data by a software module run by means of the processor.

In contrast, when a series of measurement sequences is performed in the combined measurement method, the next measurement is performed simultaneously before one measurement is completed.

Referring to fig. 5b, which shows a process in which the measurement of the leakage current and the measurement of the digital (or analog) signal are performed continuously according to a combined measurement method, the processor 310 instructs and sets the operating conditions of the measuring device after the leakage current measurement program is started, and the measuring device such as the tester channel, the parameter measuring device, or the analog measuring device applies a signal to the device under test 200, receives output data, and transmits the output data to the processor 310. The processor 310, after initializing the measurement-completed meter, instructs and resets the operating conditions of the meter for the measurement of the digital (or analog) signal to be performed later. During the operation of resetting the conditions of these measuring devices, the processor 310 performs calculation and determination of a defect based on the obtained output data concerning the measurement of the leakage current. The measuring device starts measurement of a digital (or analog) signal independently of a leak current measurement result as a preceding procedure.

In summary, the second measurement method based on the combined measurement method still comprises the steps of the first measurement method based on the sequential measurement method, but there is a difference in that the third step of the second measurement method comprises: a third step of, if calculation by the software module is required in order to obtain the measurement value, calculating the measurement value from the measurement data by the software module, and if calculation by the software module is not required, using the measurement data as the measurement value by the processor, thereby determining whether the device under test is defective; in addition, the third step of the second measurement method, before the third-step, further includes: a third-zero step, wherein the processor initiates an iteration of the first through third steps in order to make other measurements different from the particular measurement. That is, the processor starts the measurement of the next sequence in parallel with the third-step, instead of waiting for the occurrence of the poor determination result according to the third-step, thereby saving the overall measurement time, which can be said to be a technical feature of the combined measurement method.

With respect to such a series of measurements performed in series, the skilled person will understand that the description of recursive (recursive) as described in the present specification and claims, i.e. a particular step includes its own description (i.e. the third-zero step again includes the third step), as this is the usual way in the software field { the so-called recursive algorithm (recursivalgorithm) }. Such recursive algorithms may be interchanged with iterative algorithms, as will also be well understood by those of ordinary skill. Therefore, the recursive description is exactly equivalent or equivalent (equivalent) to the corresponding iterative description.

The combined measurement method described above has an advantage that the time required for measurement can be shortened as compared with the sequential measurement method. However, such multi-tasking requires a processor having a multi-core and high-speed arithmetic function, and may cause an increase in manufacturing cost.

The pattern generating unit 322, the current-time converting unit 324, and the data calculating unit 326, which are mentioned above, are examples of the functions performed by the processor 310 through the operation of the software module 320 instead of the functions performed by the measuring device having the calculating function, which is conventionally connected to the device under test, or the functions performed by the microcontroller through the calculation process, and in addition, the processor 310 may perform the functions of calculation, determination, and data storage of various measuring devices instead, which can be understood by those skilled in the art, and the present invention is to be understood to include such various embodiments.

In particular, recent processors have a quad core (quad)/octa core (octa), a clock in the Ghz unit, and a bus interface (bus interface) in the Ghz unit, and thus an environment in which the processors can directly perform more various measurement functions is formed, and it is expected that software conversion into a measurement device according to the present invention will become easier.

On the other hand, as shown in the exemplary illustration in fig. 3b, the processor-based measuring device of the present invention may comprise, in addition to the processor 310, a further auxiliary processor 315, by means of which the individual steps performed and at least a part of the processing tasks comprised by said steps may also be performed by such an auxiliary processor 315. This is because the measuring device of the present invention takes charge of various functions required for measurement, calculation, determination and analysis, and accordingly requires high performance of the processor 310, and as a result, it is reduced to a high cost burden, and if an additional auxiliary processor 315 other than the processor 310 is used, it is possible to secure performance to some extent and realize an economical measuring device, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

As described above, according to all the embodiments described above, the present invention has an effect that the hardware weight of the measuring apparatus is reduced, and thus the measuring apparatus is miniaturized and the cost required for manufacturing thereof is saved.

The technique described herein by the embodiment has advantages in that not only the disadvantages of the conventional technique are made up and the cost is saved, but also various signals and results thereof generated during the measurement process can be analyzed and stored in real time, and the function of the measurement device which has been staying in the past is expanded to the field of real-time data analysis.

Based on the above description of the embodiments, it is obvious for a person skilled in the relevant art to understand that the present invention is implemented by a combination of software modules and hardware modules. The object of the present invention or a part contributing to the conventional art can be realized in the form of a program command executable by various components, and can be recorded in a machine-readable recording medium. The machine-readable recording medium may include program commands, data files, data structures, etc., alone or in combination. The program command recorded in the machine-readable recording medium may be specially designed and constructed for the present invention, or may be well known and available to those having ordinary skill in the software art. Examples of the machine-readable recording medium include hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program commands, magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media (magnetic-optical media) such as floppy disks, and flash memories such as ROMs, RAMs, and the like. Examples of the program command include not only a machine language code made by means of a compiler but also a high-level language code that can be executed by a processor using an interpreter or the like.

The measuring device of the invention, in particular the processor of the measuring device, may comprise or be configured to run one or more software module portions as described above for performing the process of the invention.

The measuring device of the present invention includes a memory such as a ROM/RAM for storing program commands, and a processor configured to execute the commands stored in the memory may include a CPU or a GPU, and may include a communication section capable of transmitting and receiving signals with an external device as described above. Furthermore, the measuring device of the present invention may also comprise a keyboard, mouse, other external input device for receiving commands written by the opener.

The present invention has been described above with reference to specific matters such as specific constituent elements and limited embodiments and drawings, but this is provided only to facilitate a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and variations can be made by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains, as long as they are described in the above description.

Therefore, the idea of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and not only the claims to be described below but also all the contents equally or equivalently modified from the claims are included in the scope of the idea of the present invention.

In so equally or equivalently distorted content, for example, a mathematically or logically equivalent (equivalent) method is included that can achieve the same result as achieved by implementing the method of the invention.