Integrated dynamic memory and method for operating it
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorsThoai-Thai Le, Jürgen Lindolf
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An integrated dynamic memory includes a memory cell array having memory cells each assigned to one of a plurality of groups. The plurality of groups are divided into defect-free groups having exclusively defect-free memory cells and into defective groups having at least one defective memory cell. The memory further includes a memory configuration table that contains a list of the defect-free groups and an assignment unit that, based upon the entries in the memory configuration table, executes memory accesses only to those memory cells assigned to a defect-free group. The total capacity of the memory module, then, is not fixed once and for all with fabrication, but, rather, results only after a memory test, or may even vary in the course of the module lifetime.
Claims32
An integrated dynamic memory, comprising:
- a memory cell array having memory cells, each of said memory cells assigned to one of a plurality of cell groups, said plurality of cell groups divided into:
- defect-free groups having exclusively defect-free memory cells;
- and
- defective groups having at least one defective memory cell;
- a memory configuration table connected to said memory cell array and adapted to contain a list identifying said defect-free groups;
- and
- an assignment unit connected to said memory configuration table, said assignment unit programmed to execute memory accesses only to said memory cells of said defect-free groups based upon said list in said memory configuration table;
- said memory cell array having word lines and bit lines;
- said memory cells disposed at respective crossover points of one of said word lines and one of said bit lines;
- each of said plurality of cell groups having exactly one word line.
An integrated dynamic memory, comprising:
- a memory cell array having memory cells, each of said memory cells assigned to one of a plurality of cell groups, said plurality of cell groups divided into:
- defect-free groups having exclusively defect-free memory cells;
- and
- defective groups having at least one defective memory cell;
- a memory configuration table connected to said memory cell array and adapted to contain a list identifying said defect-free groups;
- and
- an assignment unit connected to said memory configuration table, said assignment unit programmed to execute memory accesses only to said memory cells of said defect-free groups based upon said list in said memory configuration table;
- assignment of said memory cells to said cell groups being defined once;
- and
- said list identifying said defect-free groups permanently stored in said memory configuration table.
An integrated dynamic memory, comprising:
- a memory cell array having memory cells, each of said memory cells assigned to one of a plurality of cell groups, said plurality of cell groups divided into:
- defect-free groups having exclusively defect-free memory cells;
- and
- defective groups having at least one defective memory cell;
- a memory configuration table connected to said memory cell array and adapted to contain a list identifying said defect-free groups;
- and
- an assignment unit connected to said memory configuration table, said assignment unit programmed to execute memory accesses only to said memory cells of said defect-free groups based upon said list in said memory configuration table;
- each of said memory cells being permanently defined once to a respective group of said cell groups;
- and
- said list identifying said defect-free groups being permanently stored in said memory configuration table.
An integrated dynamic memory, comprising:
- a memory cell array having memory cells, each of said memory cells assigned to one of a plurality of cell groups, said plurality of cell groups divided into:
- defect-free groups having exclusively defect-free memory cells;
- and
- defective groups having at least one defective memory cell;
- a memory configuration table connected to said memory cell array and adapted to contain a list identifying said defect-free groups;
- and
- an assignment unit connected to said memory configuration table, said assignment unit programmed to execute memory accesses only to said memory cells of said defect-free groups based upon said list in said memory configuration table assignment of said memory cells to said cell groups being defined repeatedly;
- and
- said list identifying said defect-free groups being overwriteably stored in said memory configuration table.
An integrated dynamic memory, comprising:
- a memory cell array having memory cells, each of said memory cells assigned to one of a plurality of cell groups, said plurality of cell groups divided into:
- defect-free groups having exclusively defect-free memory cells;
- and
- defective groups having at least one defective memory cell;
- a memory configuration table connected to said memory cell array and adapted to contain a list identifying said defect-free groups;
- and
- an assignment unit connected to said memory configuration table, said assignment unit programmed to execute memory accesses only to said memory cells of said defect-free groups based upon said list in said memory configuration table each of said memory cells being replaceably defined to one group of said cell groups;
- and
- said list identifying said defect-free groups being replaceably stored in said memory configuration table.
A method for operating an integrated dynamic memory having a memory configuration table and a memory cell array with memory cells, which comprises:
- assigning each of the memory cells to one of a plurality of groups;
- testing the memory cells for functionality in response to a request signal;
- overwriting, into the memory configuration table, each of the groups having exclusively defect-free memory cells;
- and
- during further operation, executing memory accesses only to memory cells assigned to a defect-free group entered into the memory configuration table.
A method for operating an integrated dynamic memory having a memory configuration table and a memory cell array with memory cells, which comprises:
- assigning each of the memory cells to one of a plurality of groups;
- testing the memory cells for functionality once;
- entering into the memory configuration table each of the groups having exclusively defect-free memory cells;
- during further operation, executing memory accesses only to memory cells assigned to a defect-free group entered into the memory configuration table;
- and
- entering into a readable register a total capacity of all of the memory cells assigned to the defect-free groups after the functional testing of the memory cells.
A method for operating an integrated dynamic memory having a memory configuration table and a memory cell array with memory cells, which comprises:
- assigning each of the memory cells to one of a plurality of groups;
- testing the memory cells for functionality in response to a request signal;
- entering into the memory configuration table each of the groups having exclusively defect-free memory cells in an overwriteable manner;
- during further operation, executing memory accesses only to memory cells assigned to a defect-free group entered into the memory configuration table;
- and
- entering into a readable register a total capacity of all of the memory cells assigned to the defect-free groups after the functional testing of the memory cells.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.