Repair of memory devices using volatile and non-volatile memory

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9570201-B2
Application number	US-201615156165-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2016
Priority date	Apr 17, 2015
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for hybrid post package repair are disclosed. One such apparatus may include a package including memory cells and volatile memory. The volatile memory may be configured to store defective address data corresponding to a first portion of the memory cells that are deemed defective post-packaging. The apparatus may also include a decoder configured to select a second portion of the memory cells instead of the first portion of the memory cells when received current address data corresponding to an address to be accessed matches the defective address data stored in the volatile memory. The apparatus may also include non-volatile memory in the package. The apparatus may also include a mapping logic circuit in the package. The mapping logic circuit may be configured to program the replacement address data to the non-volatile memory subsequent to the defective address data being stored to the volatile memory.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising a semiconductor device, the apparatus comprising:
a plurality of elements including a first element and a second element;
a volatile memory configured to store first information corresponding to the first element;
a non-volatile memory configured to store second information associated with the first element; and
a logic circuit configured to receive one of the first and second information as an input signal from the volatile memory and the non-volatile memory, respectively and configured to perform a replacement operation of selecting the second element instead of the first element based, at least in part, on the input signal,
wherein, responsive to a control signal being a first state, the replacement operation is performed based, at least in part, on the first information stored in the volatile memory, and
wherein, responsive to the control signal being a second state, the replacement operation is performed based, at least in part, on the second information stored in the non-volatile memory.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a multiplexer coupled with the volatile memory and the non-volatile memory and configured to provide the logic circuit with one of the first and second information as the input signal of the logic circuit responsive to the control signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the logic circuit comprises a circuit logic receiving the first information from the volatile memory, the circuit logic configured to program the second information to the non-volatile memory subsequent to the first information being stored to the volatile memory.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the semiconductor device comprises a memory chip including a plurality of memory banks, and
wherein the volatile memory is distributively arranged at each of the plurality of banks and the non-volatile memory is centralized in a common array of non-volatile memory elements.

5. The apparatus of clam 1 , wherein the first element comprises a defective element.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second element comprises a functional redundant element.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor device includes a memory module.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of elements comprise a plurality of memory cells.

9. An apparatus comprising:
a plurality of elements including a defective element and a redundant element;
a first memory configured to store first address data for the defective element;
a second memory configured to store second address data for the defective element;
a multiplexer coupled to the first and second memories and configured to provide the first address data responsive to a first post package repair mode and provide the second address data responsive to not being in the first post package repair mode;
a logic circuit coupled to the multiplexer and configured to receive one of the first and second address data, the logic circuit further configured to provide replacement address data to select the redundant element based, at least in part, on received one of the first and second address data.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the logic circuit comprises:
a third memory configured to receive the address data from the multiplexer and further configured to store previous defective address data and previous replacement address data associated with the previous defective address data, and provide the previous defective address data and previous replacement address data; and
a circuit logic configured to receive the address data from the multiplexer, the previous defective address data, and the previous defective replacement address data, the circuit logic further configured to provide the replacement address data.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the circuit logic is further configured to store new replacement address data in the third memory to replace previous replacement address data.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first memory comprises a volatile memory.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the second memory comprises a non-volatile memory.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the second memory comprises antifuses.

15. A method, comprising:
storing first address data corresponding to first elements of a plurality of elements in a first memory;
programming second address data associated with the first elements in a second memory subsequent to the first address data being stored;
responsive to a first state of a control signal, accessing second elements of the plurality of elements instead of the first elements based, at least in part, on the first address data stored in the first memory; and
responsive to a second state of the control signal, accessing the second elements instead of the first elements based, at least in part, on the second address data programmed in the second memory.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein accessing the second elements comprises accessing redundant elements.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein accessing second elements comprises accessing a different elements instead of elements to which address data was originally mapped.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein storing the first address data comprises storing the first address data in a volatile memory.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein programming the second address data comprises programming the second address data in a non-volatile memory.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein storing the first address data comprises storing defective address data corresponding to defective elements of the plurality of elements.

Assignees

• Micron Technology Inc

Inventors

• Morgan Donald M
• Ayyapureddi Sujeet

Classifications

• G11C29/76 Primary

  using address translation or modifications · CPC title

• G11C17/16

  using electrically-fusible links · CPC title

• G11C29/787

  using a fuse hierarchy · CPC title

• G11C29/88

  with partially good memories · CPC title

• G11C29/78

  using programmable devices · CPC title