# US 9,753,086 B2 · Scan flip-flop and scan test circuit including the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,753,086 B2 - Document ID: US9753086B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/873,634 - Filed: 2015-10-02 - Published: 2016-04-07 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2014-10-02 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Ha-Young Kim; Sung-Wee Cho; Dal-Hee Lee; Jae-Ha Lee - Inventors: Ha-Young Kim; Sung-Wee Cho; Dal-Hee Lee; Jae-Ha Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9753086B2 ## CPC - G01R 31/318541: {Scan latches or cell details} - H03K 3/35625: {using complementary field-effect transistors} - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) ## Abstract A scan flip-flop includes an input unit and a flip-flop. The input unit is configured to select one signal from among a data input signal and a scan input signal to supply the selected one signal as an internal signal according to an operation mode. The flip-flop os configured to latch the internal signal according to a clock signal. The flip-flop includes a cross coupled structure that includes first and second tri-state inverters which share a first output node and face each other. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A scan flip-flop comprising: an input unit configured to select one signal from among a data input signal and a scan input signal to supply the selected one signal as an internal signal according to an operation mode; and a flip-flop configured to latch the internal signal according to a clock signal, the flip-flop including a cross coupled structure that includes first and second tri-state inverters which share a first output node, the first tri-state inverter receiving a first input signal and first and second control signals, and the second tri-state inverter receiving a second input signal and the first and second control signals, wherein the cross couple structure includes first and second active regions and a dummy region interposed between the first and second active regions in a layout view of the cross coupled structure, and first and second conductive lines extending in parallel across the first and second active regions and the dummy region, wherein the cross coupled structure further includes a cutout region in the dummy region for separating the first conductive line into a first portion and a second portion, and for separating the second conductive line into a third portion and a fourth portion, and wherein the cross couple structure further includes a diagonal contact which traverses the cutout region and connects the first portion of the first conductive line and the fourth portion of the second conductive line, and a via for applying one of the first and second control signals to the diagonal contact. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The scan flip-flop of claim 1, wherein the flip-flop comprises: a master latch including the first and second tri-state inverters; and a slave latch connected to the master latch. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The scan flip-flop of claim 2, wherein the first tri-state inverter comprises a first pull-up unit, a first pull-down unit, a first PMOS transistor connected between the first pull-up unit and the first output node, and a first NMOS transistor connected between the first output node and the first pull-down unit, and the second tri-state inverter comprises a second pull-up unit, a second pull-down unit, a second PMOS transistor connected between the second pull-up unit and the first output node, and a second NMOS transistor connected between the first output node and the second pull-down unit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The scan flip-flop of claim 3, wherein a gate of the first PMOS transistor is electrically connected to a gate of the second NMOS transistor, a gate of the first NMOS transistor is electrically connected to a gate of the second PMOS transistor, and the first and second PMOS transistors and the first and second NMOS transistors constitute a first cross coupled unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The scan flip-flop of claim 3, wherein an inversion clock signal generated by inverting the clock signal is applied to the gate of the first NMOS transistor and the gate of the second PMOS transistor, and a buffered clock signal generated by inverting the inversion clock signal is applied to the gate of the first PMOS transistor and the gate of the second NMOS transistor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The scan flip-flop of claim 2, wherein the input unit comprises a multiplexer configured to include third and fourth tri-state inverters that share a second output node and face each other. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The scan flip-flop of claim 6, wherein the third tri-state inverter comprises a third pull-up unit and a third pull-down unit which are controlled according to the data input signal, a third PMOS transistor connected between the third pull-up unit and the second output node, and a third NMOS transistor connected between the second output node and the third pull-down unit, and the fourth tri-state inverter comprises a fourth pull-up unit and a fourth pull-down unit which are controlled according to the scan input signal, a fourth PMOS transistor connected between the fourth pull-up unit and the second output node, and a fourth NMOS transistor connected between the second output node and the fourth pull-down unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The scan flip-flop of claim 7, wherein a gate of the third PMOS transistor is electrically connected to a gate of the fourth NMOS transistor, a gate of the fourth NMOS transistor is electrically connected to a gate of the third PMOS transistor, and the third and fourth PMOS transistors and the third and fourth NMOS transistors constitute a second cross coupled unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The scan flip-flop of claim 7, wherein the first and fourth tri-state inverters share a power terminal and a ground terminal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The scan flip-flop of claim 2, wherein the slave latch comprises: a transmission gate configured to transfer an output signal of the master latch; and a fifth tri-state inverter configured to share a third output node with the transmission gate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The scan flip-flop of claim 10, wherein the fifth tri-state inverter comprises a fifth pull-up unit, a fifth pull-down unit, a fifth PMOS transistor connected between the fifth pull-up unit and the third output node, and a fifth NMOS transistor connected between the third output node and the fifth pull-down unit, the transmission gate comprises a sixth PMOS transistor, including a gate electrically connected to a gate of the fifth NMOS transistor, and a sixth NMOS transistor including a gate electrically connected to a gate of the fifth PMOS transistor, and the fifth and sixth PMOS transistors and the fifth and sixth NMOS transistors constitute a third cross coupled unit. ### Claim 12 A scan flip-flop comprising: an input unit configured to select one signal from among a data input signal and a scan input signal to supply the selected one signal as an internal signal according to an operation mode; and a flip-flop configured to latch the internal signal according to a clock signal, the flip-flop including a cross coupled structure that includes first and second tri-state inverters which share a first output node and face each other, wherein the flip-flop comprises a master latch including the first and second tri-state inverters, and a slave latch connected to the master latch, and wherein the master latch further comprises a reset switch connected between the first output node and a ground terminal, the reset switch being controlled according to a reset control signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The scan flip-flop of claim 12, wherein the master latch further comprises a set switch connected between a power terminal and the first output node, the set switch being controlled according to a set control signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The scan flip-flop of claim 2, wherein the master latch further comprises: a set switch connected between a power terminal and the first output node, the set switch being controlled according to a set control signal; and a reset switch connected between the first output node and a ground terminal, the reset switch being controlled according to a reset control signal. ### Claim 15 A scan test circuit comprising: a sequential circuit unit configured to include first and second scan flip-flops, at least one of the first and second scan flip-flops including a flip-flop that includes a cross coupled structure including first and second tri-state inverters which share a first output node; and a combinational circuit unit configured to include first and second combinational logic circuits, the first combinational logic circuit supplying a first data input signal, generated by performing a logic operation on pieces of data, to the first scan flip-flop, and the second combinational logic circuit supplying a second data input signal, generated by performing a logic operation on an output signal of the first scan flip-flop, to the second scan flip-flop, wherein the first tri-state inverter receives a first input signal and first and second control signals, and the second tri-state inverter receives a second input signal and the first and second control signals, wherein the cross couple structure includes first and second active regions and a dummy region interposed between the first and second active regions in a layout view of the cross coupled structure, and first and second conductive lines extending in parallel across the first and second active regions and the dummy region, wherein the cross coupled structure further includes a cutout region in the dummy region for separating the first conductive line into a first portion and a second portion, and for separating the second conductive line into a third portion and a fourth portion, and wherein the cross couple structure further includes a diagonal contact which traverses the cutout region and connects the first portion of the first conductive line and the fourth portion of the second conductive line, and a via for applying one of the first and second control signals to the diagonal contact. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The scan test circuit of claim 15, wherein the first scan flip-flop is configured to select the first data input signal as the output signal of the first scan flip-flop in a normal mode, and to select a scan signal as the output signal of the first scan flip-flop in a scan test mode, and wherein the second flip-flop is configured to select the second data input signal as an output signal of the second flip-flop in the normal mode, and to select the output signal of the first scan flip-flop as the output signal of the second scan flip-flop in the scan test mode. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The scan test circuit of claim 16, wherein the first and second flip-flops are responsive to a scan enable signal to operate in the normal mode or the test scan mode. ### Claim 18 A data processing apparatus comprising: a logic circuit; and a scan logic group comprising a plurality of scan flip-flops each receiving input data and scan data from the logic circuit, and each selecting and outputting the received input data or the received scan data to the logic circuit, at least one of the plurality of scan flip-flops including a flip-flop that includes a cross coupled structure including first and second tri-state inverters which share a first output node, the first tri-state inverter receiving a first input signal and first and second control signals, and the second tri-state inverter receiving a second input signal and the first and second control signals, wherein the cross couple structure includes first and second active regions and a dummy region interposed between the first and second active regions in a layout view of the cross coupled structure, and first and second conductive lines extending in parallel across the first and second active regions and the dummy region, wherein the cross coupled structure further includes a cutout region in the dummy region for separating the first conductive line into a first portion and a second portion, and for separating the second conductive line into a third portion and a fourth portion, and wherein the cross couple structure further includes a diagonal contact which traverses the cutout region and connects the first portion of the first conductive line and the fourth portion of the second conductive line, and a via for applying one of the first and second control signals to the diagonal contact. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The data processing apparatus of claim 18, wherein each of the plurality of scan flip-flops selects and output the received input data to the logic circuit in a normal mode, and each of scan flip-flops selects and outputs the scan data in a scan test mode. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The data processing apparatus of claim 19, wherein each of the scan flip flops is responsive to a scan enable signal to operate in the normal mode or the scan test mode.