Hardware and software programmable fuses for memory repair
AssigneeBroadcom Corporation
InventorsEsin Terzioglu, Gil Winograd
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a system and method for increasing the manufacturing yield of a plurality of memory cells used in cell arrays. A programmable fuse, having both hardware and software elements, is used with the plurality of memory cells to indicate that at least one memory cell is unusable and should be shifted out of operation. The software programmable element includes a programmable register adapted to shift in an appropriate value indicating that at least one of the memory cells is flawed. The hardware element includes a fuse gated with the programmable register. Shifting is indicated either by software programmable fuse or hard fuse. Soft fuse registers may be chained together forming a shift register.
Claims45
A programmable device used with a part and adapted to increase manufacturing yield of the part, the device comprising:
- at least hardware and software modes;
- said hardware mode comprising at least a hardware programmable element adapted to indicate that the part should be shifted out of operation;
- and
- said software mode comprising at least a software programmable element adapted to shift in an appropriate value indicating that the part should be shifted out of operation, wherein said hardware and software modes act autonomously.
A programmable fuse used with a plurality of memory cells in a cell array, the programmable fuse comprising:
- a programmable register adapted to shift in an appropriate value indicating that at least one of the memory cells is flawed;
- a fuse gated with said programmable register forming a shift register and adapted to indicate that at least one of the memory cells is flawed, said shift register including a shift clock interface.
A method for increasing manufacturing yield of a memory cell, the method comprising:
- forming the memory cell having both hardware and software modes;
- evaluating the memory cell;
- and
- indicating that the memory cell is unusable using only one of hardware and software modes.
A method for increasing manufacturing yield of a memory device, the method comprising:
- forming a plurality of memory cells in the memory device;
- evaluating said plurality of memory cells using at least one of a hardware and software modes;
- and
- indicating that at least one of said plurality of memory cells is unusable using only one of hardware and software modes.
A programmable fuse used with a plurality of memory cells in a cell array, the programmable fuse comprising:
- a programmable register adapted to shift in an appropriate value indicating that at least one of the memory cells is flawed;
- a fuse gated with said programmable register forming a shift register and adapted to indicate that at least one of the memory cells is flawed;
- and
- a reset pin adapted to reset said programmable register to 0.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.