Batch screening of commercial serial flash-memory integrated circuits for low-temperature applications

We present comprehensive results on the experimentally measured performance of commercial serial flash-memory integrated circuits (ICs) over a wide temperature range (−196 °C to 25 °C). We also address endurance issues because our intended low-temperature application is electronics related to long-term storage of biological material. We compared six batches of flash-memory ICs, manufactured between 2007 and 2012. Test results reveal a batch-to-batch variation of the pass rate. Typically, programming times increase by a factor of 4-6 at −196 °C. The practical relevance of our results is discussed.