Patent · US Expired

Refresh apparatus for semiconductor memory device, and refresh method thereof

US6731560B2 · kind B2 · utility

18Cited by
4References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 6, 2002
Grant dateMay 4, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 6, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C2029/1802
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A refresh apparatus for a semiconductor memory device and a refresh method thereof that can reduce a test time by simultaneously refreshing a normal cell and a redundant cell in one test mode is disclosed. The refresh apparatus for the semiconductor memory device may include a redundant cell refresh signal generator for generating a redundant cell refresh signal for refreshing a redundant cell when a refresh is requested in a test mode, a wordline enable signal generator for generating a normal main wordline enable signal and a redundant main wordline enable signal in response to the redundant cell refresh signal in a redundant cell test mode and a wordline driver for simultaneously refreshing the normal and redundant cells by simultaneously driving a normal main wordline and a redundant main wordline in response to the redundant cell refresh signal, the normal main wordline enable signal, the redundant main wordline enable signal and a row address in the redundant cell test mode.

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