Method for recognizing and replacing defective memory cells in a memory
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorPeter Poechmueller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for recognizing a defective memory cell in a memory having a plurality of memory cells includes directly comparing predetermined properties of the memory cells to one another. Predetermined identical information is read into each memory cell of the plurality of memory cells, and then the information stored in the plurality of memory cells is read out. For each one of the plurality of memory cells a strength of a read-out signal is determined, and the memory cells are sorted depending on the strength of the respective read-out signal.
Claims13
A method for recognizing a defective memory cell in a memory with a plurality of memory cells, which comprises:
- comparing output signals of the memory cells directly to one another;
- and
- sorting the memory cells depending on the strength of the respective output signal.
A method for replacing defective memory cells in a memory with redundant memory cells provided in the memory, comprising:
- recognizing the defective memory cells by directly comparing predetermined properties of the memory cells to one another;
- and
- replacing the defective memory cells with the redundant memory cells starting with the defective memory cell having the lowest signal strength.
A method for recognizing a defective memory cell in a memory with a plurality of memory cells, wherein predetermined properties of the memory cells are compared directly to one another, which comprises:
- (i) writing a predetermined identical information into each memory cell of the plurality of memory cells;
- (ii) reading out the information stored in the plurality of memory cells;
- (iii) for each of the plurality of memory cells, determining the strength of a read out signal from step (ii);
- and
- (iv) depending on the strengths determined in step (iii), sorting the memory cells depending on the strength of the respective read out signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.