Patent · US Expired

Semiconductor memory device that requires refresh operations

US7215589B2 · kind B2 · utility

6Cited by
3References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 6, 2006
Grant dateMay 8, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 6, 2026

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C29/783
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A semiconductor memory device includes a refresh counter that outputs an address of a word line to be refreshed, a ROM circuit that stores a relevant address related to a refresh defective address, and a multiple refresh control circuit that simultaneously or continuously activates the refresh defective address and the relevant address within one refresh cycle in response to a fact that the ROM circuit detects the relevant address. The multiple refresh control circuit excludes a pattern having a risk that a power supply potential or a ground potential varies greatly such as a pattern that the multiple refresh occurs continuously. With this arrangement, a refresh defective cell can be saved while restricting the variation in the power supply potential or the ground potential.

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