Semiconductor stack structures and fabrication/sparing methods utilizing programmable spare circuit
First Claim
1. An electronic semiconductor structure comprising:
- a plurality of semiconductor chips electrically coupled together in a system, at least one semiconductor chip of the plurality of semiconductor chips having a memory with m memory cells, wherein m is an integer;
a control circuit for coupling said plurality of semiconductor chips to external circuitry, said control circuit including selection means for facilitating access to a selected semiconductor chip, said selected semiconductor chip comprising one semiconductor chip of the at least one semiconductor chip having a memory, said selected semiconductor chip corresponding to an address received from the external circuitry, said control circuit including a plurality of circuit paths;
a spare memory circuit functionally integrated with said plurality of circuit paths of said control circuit, and having n memory cells, wherein n is an integer and n≦
m, said spare memory circuit being electrically connected to said at least one semiconductor chip having said memory and being programmable such that a single memory cell of the n memory cells of the spare memory circuit can functionally replace a single failed memory cell of said m memory cells of the at least one semiconductor chip having said memory.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Electronic semiconductor structures utilize an electrically programmable spare circuit incorporated with a multichip package. The programmable sparing capability in the multichip package is accomplished either with or without the inclusion of a spare chip(s). With a spare memory circuit, individual failed memory cells in the semiconductor chips of a stack can be functionally replaced by memory cells of the spare memory circuit subsequent to encapsulation and burn-in testing. With use of a spare chip, non-volatile sparing can occur subsequent to encapsulation and burn-in testing without physical rewiring of a wire bond connection. Specific details of alternate electronic semiconductor structures, and fabrication and sparing methods therefore, are set forth.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An electronic semiconductor structure comprising:
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a plurality of semiconductor chips electrically coupled together in a system, at least one semiconductor chip of the plurality of semiconductor chips having a memory with m memory cells, wherein m is an integer; a control circuit for coupling said plurality of semiconductor chips to external circuitry, said control circuit including selection means for facilitating access to a selected semiconductor chip, said selected semiconductor chip comprising one semiconductor chip of the at least one semiconductor chip having a memory, said selected semiconductor chip corresponding to an address received from the external circuitry, said control circuit including a plurality of circuit paths; a spare memory circuit functionally integrated with said plurality of circuit paths of said control circuit, and having n memory cells, wherein n is an integer and n≦
m, said spare memory circuit being electrically connected to said at least one semiconductor chip having said memory and being programmable such that a single memory cell of the n memory cells of the spare memory circuit can functionally replace a single failed memory cell of said m memory cells of the at least one semiconductor chip having said memory. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An electronic semiconductor structure comprising:
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a plurality of semiconductor chips electrically and mechanically coupled together in a packaged system; a sparing circuit electrically coupled to the plurality of semiconductor chips and comprising part of the packaged system; electrically programmable, non-volatile means for activating the sparing circuit to permanently function in combination with at least one semiconductor chip of the plurality of semiconductor chips in the packaged system; a control circuit for coupling said plurality of semiconductor chips to external circuitry, said control circuit including selection means for facilitating access to a selected semiconductor chip of the at least one semiconductor chip, said selected semiconductor chip corresponding to an address received from the said external circuitry, said control circuit including a plurality of circuit paths common to, and functionally integrated with, said sparing circuit. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification