Patent · US Expired

Circuit and method for a multiplexed redundancy scheme in a memory device

US6269035A · kind A · utility

26Cited by
9References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 13, 2000
Grant dateJul 31, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 13, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C29/808
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A semiconductor memory device including a memory-cell array divided into a plurality of memory sub-arrays that are arranged into rows and columns of memory cells. Each of the sub-arrays has a limited number of redundant rows and columns to repair defective memory cells. The redundant memory of at least two memory sub-arrays is coupled to an I/O line through a respective isolation circuit. A control circuit coupled to the isolation circuits selectively couples the redundant memory of the sub-arrays to the I/O line. Coupling the redundant memory of multiple sub-arrays facilitates using the redundant memory of one sub-array to repair the defective memory cells in other sub-arrays also coupled to the I/O line, when the redundant memory primarily associated with the other sub-arrays has been depleted.

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