# US 2023/0057528 A1 · Test circuits and semiconductor test methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0057528 A1 - Document ID: US20230057528A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/431,232 - Filed: 2021-03-09 - Published: 2023-02-23 - Earliest claimed: 2020-04-03 - Assignees: Changxin Memory Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Changxin Memory Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: ChihCheng Liu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230057528A1 ## CPC - G01R 31/14: Circuits therefor {, e.g. for generating test voltages, sensing circuits (G01R31/1209 - G01R31/1227 take precedence; for testing switches G01R31/327)} - G01R 31/129: {of components or parts made of semiconducting materials; of LV components or parts (G01R31/18 takes precedence)} - G01R 31/2642: {Testing semiconductor operation lifetime or reliability, e.g. by accelerated life tests} - H10P 74/00: Testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment of wafers, substrates or devices - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract The present application relates to a test circuit, comprising: M test units, each test unit having a first terminal and a second terminal, a first terminal of each test unit being connected to a power wire, a second terminal of each test unit being connected to a ground wire, M being a positive integer; each test unit comprises a TDDB test component, a switch, and a control circuit; the TDDB test component has a first equivalent resistance before being broken down, the TDDB test component has a second equivalent resistance after being broken down, and the first equivalent resistance is greater than the second equivalent resistance. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A test circuit, comprising: M test units, each test unit having a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of each test unit being connected to a power wire, the second terminal of each test unit being connected to a ground wire, M being a positive integer; each test unit comprises a time dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) test component, a switch, and a control circuit, wherein a first terminal of the TDDB test component is the first terminal of the test unit and a second terminal of the TDDB test component is connected to a first terminal of the switch, a second terminal of the switch is the second terminal of the test unit, and the first terminal of the switch is connected to a control terminal of the switch through the control circuit; and the TDDB test component has a first equivalent resistance before being broken down, the TDDB test component has a second equivalent resistance after being broken down, and the first equivalent resistance is greater than the second equivalent resistance. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The test circuit according to claim 1, wherein the TDDB test component has a dielectric layer, and an area of the dielectric layer is greater than or equal to 1 μm2 and less than or equal to 1,000,000 μm2. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The test circuit according to claim 2, wherein the dielectric layer of the TDDB test component of each test unit is made of silicon dioxide. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The test circuit according to claim 3, wherein the M is greater than or equal to 2, and the areas of the dielectric layers of the TDDB test components of the M test units are the same. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The test circuit according to claim 3, wherein the M is greater than or equal to 2, and the areas of the dielectric layers of the TDDB test components of the M test units are not exactly the same. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The test circuit according to claim 5, wherein the M is greater than or equal to 3, and the areas of the dielectric layers of the TDDB test components of the M test units are in an arithmetic sequence or a geometric sequence. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The test circuit according to claim 2, wherein the M is greater than or equal to 2, and the areas of the dielectric layers of the TDDB test components of the M test units are not exactly the same. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The test circuit according to claim 7, wherein the areas of the dielectric layers of the TDDB test components of the M test units are the same. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The test circuit according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of the first equivalent resistance to the second equivalent resistance is greater than or equal to 100. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The test circuit according to claim 1, wherein the switch comprises an n-channel metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) transistor, a drain of the NMOS transistor is electrically connected to the second terminal of the TDDB test component, and a source of the NMOS transistor is grounded. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The test circuit according to claim 10, wherein the control circuit comprises an inverter, an input of the inverter is electrically connected to the second terminal of the TDDB test component, and an-another terminal is electrically connected to a gate of the NMOS transistor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The test circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of voltage collection devices, and each voltage collection device is electrically connected to a different test unit and is electrically connected between the TDDB test component and an n-channel metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) transistor of the switch. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A semiconductor test method, comprising: applying a same test voltage to each TDDB test component in a test circuit according to claim 1; and recording a breakdown lifetime of each TDDB test component. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) A semiconductor test method, comprising: applying a same test voltage to each TDDB test component in a test circuit according to claim 12; recording a breakdown lifetime of each TDDB test component, and recording time when each voltage collection device collects a target voltage; and determining the breakdown lifetime of each TDDB test component, based on a position of each voltage collection device, the time when each voltage collection device collects the target voltage, and recorded breakdown lifetime of each TDDB test component.