SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE INCLUDING DEFECT DETECTION CIRCUIT AND METHOD OF DETECTING DEFECTS IN THE SAME

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor die having a peripheral region surrounding, a defect detection circuit in the peripheral region, the defect detection circuit arranged in an open conduction loop, the defect detection circuit comprising a plurality of latch circuits and a plurality of defect detection conduction paths, each defect detection conduction path of the plurality of defect detection conduction paths connecting two adjacent latch circuits of the plurality of latch circuits, and a test control circuitry configured to perform (a) a test write operation by transferring bits of an input data pattern in a forward direction of the open conduction loop to cause the plurality of latch circuits to store the bits of the input data pattern in the plurality of latch circuits, and (b) a test read operation by transferring bits stored in the plurality of latch circuits in a backward direction of the open conduction loop.