Methods of scrubbing errors and semiconductor modules using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10964406-B2
Application number	US-201815982378-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2018
Priority date	Nov 24, 2017
Publication date	Mar 30, 2021
Grant date	Mar 30, 2021

Abstract

A semiconductor device includes a flag generation circuit and a write operation circuit. The flag generation circuit generates an error scrub flag if an error scrub operation is performed. The write operation circuit controls a write operation in response to the error scrub flag. The error scrub operation includes an internal read operation for outputting read data from a cell array, a data correction operation for correcting an error included in the read data to generate corrected data, and an internal write operation for storing the corrected data into the cell array.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A semiconductor module comprising:
a controller configured to control an error scrub operation and a read operation;
a semiconductor device including a plurality of memory chips and an error information signal generation circuit,
wherein at least one of the plurality of memory chips performs the error scrub operation during the read operation of the plurality of memory chips,
wherein the plurality of memory chips are configured to receive a command during the read operation to generate a plurality of error detection signals including pulses generated when an error occurs in the plurality of memory chips,
wherein the error information signal generation circuit is configured to generate a plurality of error information signals enabled when an error occurs a predetermined number of times in the plurality of memory chips.

2. The semiconductor module of claim 1 , wherein the error scrub operation corrects an error of data stored in the at least one of the plurality of memory chips and restores the corrected data into the at least one of the plurality of memory chips.

3. The semiconductor module of claim 1 ,
wherein each of the plurality of memory chips includes an internal error correction circuit; and
wherein the internal error correction circuit included in the memory chip performing the error scrub operation does not correct erroneous data, and the erroneous data are corrected by an error correction circuit included in the controller.

4. The semiconductor module of claim 3 ,
wherein the internal error correction circuit is configured to correct at least two erroneous bits; and
wherein each of the internal error correction circuits is configured to correct a single erroneous bit.

5. The semiconductor module of claim 1 , wherein the controller includes:
a command generation circuit configured to generate a command for the read operation and the error scrub operation;
an error scrub control circuit configured to generate first to fourth memory selection signals, at least one of which is selectively enabled in response to first to fourth error information signals; and
an error correction circuit configured to correct erroneous data of the at least one of the plurality of memory chips that performs the error scrub operation and configured to restore the corrected data into the at least one of the plurality of memory chips.

6. The semiconductor module of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of memory chips include a first memory chip, a second memory chip, a third memory chip and a fourth memory chip;
wherein the plurality of error detection signals include a first error detection signal, a second error detection signal, third error detection signal and fourth error detection signal;
wherein the first memory chip is configured to include a first internal error correction circuit and is configured to receive the command to generate the first error detection signal including a pulse which is created if an error of first data outputted from the first memory chip occurs during the read operation;
wherein the second memory chip is configured to include a second internal error correction circuit and is configured to receive the command to generate the second error detection signal including a pulse which is created if an error of second data outputted from the second memory chip occurs during the read operation;
wherein the third memory chip is configured to include a third internal error correction circuit and is configured to receive the command to generate the third error detection signal including a pulse which is created if an error of third data outputted from the third memory chip occurs during the read operation;
wherein the fourth memory chip is configured to include a fourth internal error correction circuit and is configured to receive the command to generate the fourth error detection signal including a pulse which is created if an error of fourth data outputted from the fourth memory chip occurs during the read operation; and
wherein the error information signal generation circuit is configured to generate first to fourth error information signals, one of which is enabled when a pulse of any one of the first to fourth error detection signals is created by at least a predetermined number of times.

7. The semiconductor module of claim 6 ,
wherein the first internal error correction circuit is configured to perform the read operation or the error scrub operation in response to a first memory selection signal;
wherein the second internal error correction circuit is configured to perform the read operation or the error scrub operation in response to a second memory selection signal;
wherein the third internal error correction circuit is configured to perform the read operation or the error scrub operation in response to a third memory selection signal; and
wherein the fourth internal error correction circuit is configured to perform the read operation or the error scrub operation in response to a fourth memory selection signal.

8. The semiconductor module of claim 6 , wherein the error information signal generation circuit includes:
a first counter configured to receive a reference information signal to generate the first error information signal which is enabled when a pulse of the first error detection signal is created at least the predetermined number of times;
a second counter configured to receive the reference information signal to generate the second error information signal which is enabled when a pulse of the second error detection signal is created at least the predetermined number of times;
a third counter configured to receive the reference information signal to generate the third error information signal which is enabled when a pulse of the third error detection signal is created at least the predetermined number of times; and
a fourth counter configured to receive the reference information signal to generate the fourth error information signal which is enabled when a pulse of the fourth error detection signal is created at least the predetermined number of times.

9. The semiconductor module of claim 6 , wherein the error information signal generation circuit includes:
a count signal generation circuit configured to generate first to fourth count signals that are counted in response to the pulses of the first to fourth error detection signals; and
a comparison circuit configured to compare the first to fourth count signals with a reference information signal including information on the predetermined number of times to generate the first to fourth error information signals.

10. The semiconductor module of claim 9 , wherein the count signal generation circuit includes:
a first counter configured to generate the first count signal that is counted in response to a pulse of the first error detection signal;
a second counter configured to generate the second count signal that is counted in response to a pulse of the second error detection signal;
a third counter configured to generate the third count signal that is counted in response to a pulse of the third error detection signal; and
a fourth counter configured to generate the fourth count signal that is counted in response to a pulse of the fourth error detection signal.

11. The semiconductor module of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of memory chips of the semiconductor device sequentially perform the error scrub operation.

12. The semiconductor module of claim 11 , wherein the controller includes:
a command generation circuit configured to generate a command for the read operation and the error scrub operation;
an error scrub control circuit configured to g

Assignees

• Sk Hynix Inc

Inventors

• Song Young Ook
• Kim Yong Mi
• Kim Chang Hyun

Classifications

• G06F11/106 Primary

  Correcting systematically all correctable errors, i.e. scrubbing · CPC title

• G11C16/34

  Determination of programming status, e.g. threshold voltage, overprogramming or underprogramming, retention · CPC title

• G11C2029/0409

  Online test · CPC title

• G11C2029/0411

  Online error correction · CPC title

• G11C16/3418

  Disturbance prevention or evaluation; Refreshing of disturbed memory data · CPC title