More Efficient Testing of Metal-Oxide Memristor-Based Memory

Resistive memory is a promising emerging technology but is prone to defects due to uncertainties in nanoscale fabrication. The test time of existing techniques for bipolar metal-oxide memristors is dominated by slow writes. Fast March tests are proposed that benefit from fast write operations. The test application time is reduced significantly while simultaneously reducing the average test energy per cell. Experimental evaluation in 45-nm technology shows a speed-up of approximately 70% with a decrease in energy by approximately 40%. Design for testability (DfT) schemes are proposed to implement the new test methods.