Patent · US Active

Controlled reliability in an integrated circuit

US7793172B2 · kind B2 · utility

10Cited by
23References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 28, 2006
Grant dateSep 7, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 8, 2029

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C29/028
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Methods and systems for configuring characteristics associated with at least one portion of a memory array comprising addressable units are provided. In one aspect, a method for controlling a power supply voltage for a memory array comprises detecting whether an error occurred in performing a read operation on an addressable unit of the memory array using a first power supply voltage coupled to the memory array. The method further comprises incrementing an error counter for tracking an error count associated with the memory array and switching the memory array to a second power supply voltage if the error count is equal to or exceeds an error threshold for the memory array. The method further comprises, based on at least one condition, switching the memory array to the first power supply voltage and resetting the error counter to an initial value.

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