Free IEEE ETS Mini-Course on the Evolution and Future of Memory Testing
Dear colleagues,
As part of the IEEE European Test Symposium (ETS), we are launching a new series of free online pre-conference mini-courses designed to strengthen our community’s shared knowledge base, given by one of the most prominent experts in the field of test.
Over the years, ETS has broadened its scope, attracting participants from diverse domains of hardware design, verification, and security. This diversity is a strength, but it also means that not everyone is familiar with the fundamental principles of IC test — which remain central to our conference.
Speaker: Prof. Said Hamdioui (TU Delft, The Netherlands)
Date: May 4, 2026 – 15:00 CEST
Duration: 90 minutes (including Q&A)
Teams link: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/38474686263885?p=dqI4f5hMe1kIsa3HgR
Meeting ID: 384 746 862 638 85
Passcode: Py9BJ2uw
Open to all (no registration required)
Abstract
In the era of AI and Exascale computing, memory is no longer a peripheral component; it is the heart of the system. While logic testing focuses on the complexity of state transitions, memory testing must grapple with the ruthless density of physics, where billions of identical cells must coexist without mutual interference. This talk starts with a journey through the timeline of memory test, tracing the evolution from the robust, manual patterns of the 1970s to the sophisticated Built-In Self-Test (BIST) architectures of today. We will dissect why traditional methodologies often falter when faced with unique memory failure mechanisms, such as dynamic faults and complex timing-related dependencies. The conversation then shifts to the frontier: Emerging Memories (e.g., MRAM, ReRAM, FeFET). As we move beyond traditional technologies, do our legacy testing “playbooks” still hold? We will explore why conventional approaches are hitting a wall and how innovative strategies are redefining the next generation of memory quality and reliability. Join us to discover how we are reimagining the test bench for the memories of tomorrow.