Testing Flash Memories for Tunnel Oxide Defects

Abstract

Testing non volatile memories for tunnel oxide defects is one of the most important aspects to guarantee cell reliability. Defective tunnel oxide layer in core memory cells can result in various disturb faults. In this paper, we study various defects in the insulating layers of a IT flash cell and analyze their impact on cell performance. Further, we present a test methodology and test algorithms that enable the detection of tunnel oxide defects in an efficient manner.