Patent · US Expired

Nonvolatile memory blocking architecture and redundancy

US5621690A · kind A · utility

146Cited by
16References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 28, 1995
Grant dateApr 15, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 28, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C29/82
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A nonvolatile memory includes a global line. A plurality of memory blocks and a redundant block are also included in the memory, each block having a plurality of local lines and a decoder for selectively connecting the global line to one of the local lines when the decoder is enabled and for isolating the local lines from the global line when the decoder is disabled. When one of the plurality of blocks is found to be a defective block, the defective block is replaced by the redundant block. Circuitry is provided for disabling the decoder of the defective block and enabling the decoder of the redundant block whenever the defective block is addressed.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.