Patent ID: 7823046
Filing Date: 2010-10-26
Classification: G06F,G11C

Abstract:
1. A semiconductor device comprising: a memory section including a first memory cell which stores a data bit and a second memory cell which stores an error correcting bit, an error correcting section which corrects an error of the data bit by use of the error correcting bit, outputs a data signal containing an error-corrected data bit and an information signal when the error is corrected, a test section which is supplied with the data signal containing the error-corrected data bit and the information signal and outputs a first determination signal when the memory section is determined to be faulty by checking the data signal containing the error-corrected data bit based on a stored program for determining whether the memory section functions normally, a counter section configured to receive the information signal from the error correcting section, count the number of times by which the information signal is supplied thereto, and output a second determination signal when the result of counting is equal to a predetermined reference value, and a determining section configured to receive the first determination signal from the test section and the second determination signal from the counter section and determine that the memory section is faulty when one of the first and second determination signals is supplied thereto, wherein the reference value of the counter section is determined to permit the error correcting section to attain a desired soft error rate by use of a capacity obtained by subtracting a capacity used to correct errors until the reference value is reached from a total capacity of the error correcting section which can be used to correct errors, and the test section, counter section, and determining section are included in a function block used for determining if the memory section is faulty.