# US 8,275,929 B2 · Memory and operating method thereof

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- Number: US 8,275,929 B2
- Document ID: US8275929B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/260,258
- Filed: 2008-10-29
- Published: 2010-04-29
- Granted: 2012-09-25
- Earliest claimed: 2008-10-29
- Assignees: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Chung-Kuang Chen; Han-Sung Chen; Chun-Hsiung Hung
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8275929B2

## CPC

- G06F 12/0238: {Memory management in non-volatile memory, e.g. resistive RAM or ferroelectric memory}
- G06F 2212/2142: using write-once memory, e.g. OTPROM
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A method of programming data stored in a memory, which comprises a number of user-defined blocks, a number of manufacture-defined blocks, and an information block, includes the following steps. A programming address pointing to a user-defined block in the memory and programming data is obtained. After that, it is determined whether there is an empty manufacture-defined block among a number of user-defined blocks in the memory. If so, an information block in the memory is programmed to store the programming address and a replacing address pointing to the empty manufacture-defined block. The empty manufacture-defined block is programmed to store the programming data.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of programming data in a memory, the memory comprising a plurality of manufacture-defined blocks, a plurality of user-defined blocks and an information block, the method comprising steps of:
obtaining a programming address pointing to a user-defined block in the memory and programming data;
determining whether the user-defined block is already programmed and cannot be erased; and
if the user-defined block is already programmed and cannot be erased, searching an empty manufacture-defined block among the manufacture-defined blocks, storing the programming address and a replacing address pointing to the empty manufacture-defined block to an information block, and storing the programming data to the empty manufacture-defined block, wherein,
the manufacture-defined block is implemented with one of a replacing cell row and a replacing cell column, and the manufacture-defined block and the user-defined block have a same matrix size; and
the manufacture-defined blocks and the user-defined blocks are implemented with one time programmable (OTP) memory blocks.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising step of:
storing the programming data to the user-defined block if the user-defined block is not programmed.

### Claim 3

A method of reading data stored in a memory, the memory comprising an information block, a user-defined block and a manufacture-defined block, the method comprising steps of:
obtaining a read address;
reading the information block in the memory to obtain a programming address, which points to the user-defined block, and a replacing address, wherein the user-defined block pointed by the programming address in the information block is already programmed and cannot be erased;
determining whether the read address corresponds to the programming address; and
reading the manufacture-defined block to obtain the data corresponding to the read address if the read address corresponds to the programming address, wherein,
the manufacture-defined block is implemented with one of a replacing cell row and a replacing cell column, and the manufacture-defined block and the user-defined block have a same matrix size; and
the manufacture-defined blocks and the user-defined blocks are implemented with one time programmable (OTP) memory blocks.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method according to claim 3, further comprising step of:
reading the user-defined block to obtain the data if the read address does not correspond to the replacing address.

### Claim 5

A memory, comprising:
a memory array, comprising a manufacture-defined block, an information block, and a user-defined block; and
a logic circuit, for receiving a programming address pointing to the user-defined block and programming data, determining whether the user-defined block is already programmed, and when the user-defined block is already programmed, providing a replacing address pointing to the manufacture-defined block for storing the programming data, wherein,
the manufacture-defined block is implemented with one of a replacing cell row and a replacing cell column, and the manufacturer-defined block and the user-defined block have a same matrix size.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The memory according to claim 5, wherein the logic circuit further stores the program address and the replacing address in the information block indicating the user-defined block is replaced.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The memory according to claim 5, wherein:
when the logic circuit receives a read address pointing to the user-defined block, the logic circuit determines whether the user-defined block is replaced according to the program address and the replacing address in the information block or not; and
the logic circuit reads the manufacture-defined block to obtain the programming data according to the replacing address.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The memory according to claim 5, wherein each memory cell of the memory array is a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistor.

### Claim 9 (depends on 5)

The memory according to claim 5, wherein each memory cell of the memory array is a diode device.

### Claim 10 (depends on 5)

The memory according to claim 5, wherein each memory cell of the memory array is a fuse device.