Partial good integrated circuit and method of testing same

• Main Authors: FARNSWORTH LEONARD O, FELSKE MICHAEL Z, GILLIS PAMELA S, ST.PIERRE THOMAS, WILDER TAD J, OUELLETTE MICHAEL R, LYNCH BENJAMIN P, BARNHART CARL F
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 03.03.2005
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: INFORMATION STORAGE; MEASURING; MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES; PHYSICS; STATIC STORES; TESTING

An integrated circuit, including: a multiplicity of macro-circuits, each macro-circuit having the same function; a fuse bank containing a multiplicity of fuses, the state of the fuses storing test data indicating at least which macro-circuits failed a test; and means for preventing utilization of failing macro-circuits during operation of the integrated circuit and a method generating a partial good integrated circuit, the method including: providing an integrated circuit have a multiplicity of macro-circuits arranged in one or more groups, each macro-circuit having the same function and a fuse bank containing fuses; testing each macro-circuit prior to a fuse programming operation; programming the fuses in the fuse bank in order to store data indicating at least which macro-circuits failed the testing step; and preventing utilization of each failing macro-circuit during operation of the integrated based on the data stored in the fuse bank.