Redundant row fuse bank circuit

• US 5,583,463 A
• Filed: 05/30/1995
• Issued: 12/10/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Merritt, Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): RUBIN, MARGARET R
• Application Number:
  US08/453,010
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 327/526, 327/379
• US Class Current: 327/526
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/785 with redundancy programming schemes

Abstract

A row address detection circuit includes a fuse bank, including a plurality of fuses connected to a common node. A precharge circuit is connected to bias the common node at a supply voltage. The fuse bank is also coupled through an isolation circuit to a buffer circuit. Selected ones of the fuses are blown in a pattern corresponding to an address of a defective circuit to enable a redundant circuit to be substituted for the defective circuit. The isolation circuit allows the buffer circuit to measure the node voltage to determine if an input to a group of address select lines corresponds to the address of the defective circuit, yet isolates the buffer circuit from the common node to prevent partially blown fuses from placing an excessive load on the buffer circuit. In one embodiment, the isolation circuit is realized with a pair of transistors of opposite channel type coupled for synchronous switching to provide substantial isolation while minimizing voltage drop.

Claims

1. An integrated address bit verifier circuit for detecting a nominally blown or unblown state of a fuse, comprising:

a voltage source connectable to a blown fuse in response to a precharge signal to produce a first voltage across the blown fuse and disconnectable from the blown fuse in response to the precharge signal;

a state storage circuit connected to output the voltage across the blown fuse, the state storage circuit being configured to produce an output signal indicative of the voltage across the blown fuse; and

an isolation circuit coupled between the blown fuse and the state storage circuit, the isolation circuit including a switch switchable in response to an isolation signal between a closed state and an open state, the switch in an open state presenting an open circuit to block current from bleeding from the state storage circuit through the isolation circuit such that the state storage circuit continues producing the output signal indicative of the voltage across the blown fuse when the switch is in the open state.

2. The integrated address bit verifier circuit of claim 1 wherein the switch includes a first field effect transistor of a first channel type having a gate coupled to receive the isolation signal.

3. The integrated address bit verifier circuit of claim 2 wherein the switch further includes a second field effect transistor of a second channel type having a gate coupled to receive an inverse of the isolation signal.

4. The integrated address bit verifier circuit of claim 1 further including a line select transistor being connected to block current through the blown fuse in response to an address bit in a first state and to permit current to bleed through the blown fuse in response to an address bit in a second state.

5. An integrated address identification circuit for correlating a plurality of address bits representing an address to a selected bit pattern, each of address bits representing either a first state or a second state, comprising:

a buffer circuit having an buffer input, the buffer circuit producing at an output terminal a first voltage in response to a voltage above a reference voltage at the buffer input and producing a second voltage in response to a voltage below the reference voltage at the buffer input, the buffer circuit including a signal feedback loop having an output coupled to the buffer input to maintain the buffer input at the first or second voltage;

a first set of blown fuses, each blown fuse in the first set being coupled between a test node and the reference voltage; and

an isolator circuit coupled between the test node and the buffer input, the isolator circuit having a switching input, the isolator circuit in a closed state electrically connecting the buffer input to the test node and in an open state electrically isolating the test node from the buffer circuit, the isolator being switchable between the closed and open states in response to a predetermined isolation signal at the switching input.

6. The address identification circuit of claim 5, further including:

a second set of fuses, connected between the test node and the reference voltage, each fuse in the second set corresponding to a respective one of the bits representing the second state in the selected bit pattern;

a first set of sense switches each serially coupled with a respective one of the blown fuses between the test node and the reference voltage; and

a second set of sense switches each serially coupled with a respective one of the fuse in the second set of fuses between the test node and the reference voltage.

7. The address identification circuit of claim 6 wherein each of the switches in the first and second sets of switches includes a switch control input coupled to a respective address line carrying a control signal corresponding to the state of the address bit to which the switch corresponds, the switch closing in response to the control signal representing the address bit being in the first state and opening in response to the control signal representing the address bit being in the second state.

8. The address identification circuit of claim 6 wherein the isolator includes a first field effect transistor of a first channel type wherein the gate of the first field effect transistor is coupled to receive the isolation signal.

9. The address identification circuit of claim 8 wherein the isolator includes a second field effect transistor of a second channel type wherein the gate of the second field effect transistor is coupled to receive the isolation signal.

10. The address identification circuit of claim 8 further including a precharge circuit coupled to the test node for precharging the test node to a test voltage.

11. The address identification circuit of claim 10 wherein the precharge circuit includes a switchable circuit element coupled between a voltage supply at the test voltage and the test node, the switchable circuit element having a control input and being responsive to connect the voltage supply to the test node in response to a precharge signal.

12. An integrated circuit for detecting a redundant address signal among a set of address signals, comprising:

a fuse bank including a plurality of fuses, wherein selected ones of the fuses are blown in a pattern corresponding to the redundant address select signal;

a plurality of fuse select switches coupled to connect or isolate the selected ones of the fuses in a pattern corresponding to the predetermined row address select signal in response to the predetermined row address select signal;

an isolation circuit switchable in response to an isolation signal between a closed state and an open state, the isolation circuit having an input terminal coupled to the fuse bank and an output terminal, the isolation circuit, in the closed state, transmitting a voltage from the fuse bank to the output terminal, the isolation circuit in an open state blocking current flow from the output terminal to the fuse bank; and

a state storage circuit connected to receive the voltage from the output terminal, the state storage circuit producing a signal indicative of the voltage on the fuse bank being substantially equal to a precharge voltage from a precharge circuit, the state storage circuit further being connected to provide a feedback signal to maintain the precharge voltage on the fuse bank when the precharge circuit does not provide the precharge voltage wherein the isolation circuit in its open state forms an open circuit blocking current flow from the output terminal to the fuse bank.

13. The row address detection circuit of claim 12 wherein the isolation circuit includes a first field effect transistor of a first channel type having a gate coupled to receive the isolation signal.

14. The row address detection circuit of claim 13 wherein the isolation circuit further includes a second field effect transistor of a second channel type having a gate coupled to receive the isolation signal.

15. The row address detection circuit of claim 12 wherein each of the fuse select switches comprises a field effect transistor having its gate coupled to receive a bit of the row address select signals.

16. The row address detection circuit of claim 12 wherein the buffer circuit comprises a pair of opposed inverters.

17. A method of verifying an address with a fuse bank including a plurality of fuses in an integrated circuit, comprising the steps of:

providing a test voltage to the fuse bank;

removing the test voltage from the fuse bank;

storing a retained voltage across the fuse bank with a storage circuit;

supplying the stored retained voltage to a memory array;

after storing the retained voltage across the fuse bank, isolating the fuse bank from the storage circuit with an isolation circuit by blocking current flow from the storage circuit into the isolation circuit; and

after isolating the fuse bank from the storage circuit, maintaining the stored voltage with the storage circuit.

18. The method of claim 17, further including the steps of:

selecting a set of fuses from the fuse bank, each fuse corresponding to a bit of the address; and

providing a current path for current to flow through each of the selected fuses.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of providing a current path for current to flow through each of the selected fuses comprises, for each fuse, closing a switch serially connected with the fuse.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein each switch is a transistor and the step of closing a switch serially connected with the fuse comprises providing a selected gate voltage to the transistor.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of isolating the fuse bank from the storage circuit comprises opening an isolation switch serially connected between the fuse bank and the storage circuit to prevent the fuse bank from drawing current from the storage circuit.