High efficiency redundancy scheme for semiconductor memory device

• US 6,018,482 A
• Filed: 07/06/1998
• Issued: 01/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Fujita, Mamoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): AUDUONG, GENE NGHIA
• Application Number:
  US09/110,297
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 365/200, 365/230.03, 365/230.06, 365/189.07
• US Class Current: 365/200
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/808 using a flexible replacement scheme

Abstract

A semiconductor memory device is provided that includes a plurality of normal memory cells, a device for activating the memory cells in response to an externally applied address and a plurality of redundant memory cells. A memory and comparison device may include a device for storing an address of a failed memory cell existing within a plurality of normal memory cells and a device for comparing the externally applied address with the failed memory cell address. A redundant memory cell selection device may select any one of a plurality of redundant memory cells in response to an output signal output from the memory and comparison device. A redundant memory cell activating device may activate the redundant memory cell, responsive to an output of the memory and comparison device.

Claims

1. A semiconductor memory device comprising:

a plurality of normal memory cells;

means for activating said memory cells (XDEC) in response to an externally applied address;

a plurality of redundant memory cells;

memory and comparison means (XRED) comprising first means for storing an address of a failed memory cell existing within said plurality of normal memory cells and means for comparing said externally applied address with said failed memory cell address;

redundant memory cell selection means (XRDN) for selecting any one of a plurality of said redundant memory cells in response to an output signal output from said memory and comparison means (XRED); and

redundant memory cell activating means (RXDC) for activating said redundant memory cell, responsive to an output of said memory and comparison means.

2. A semiconductor memory device according to claim 1, wherein, said plurality of normal memory cells form a main memory cell array and said main memory cell array is divided into a plurality of sub memory arrays each one of said sub memory arrays includes a plurality of normal memory cells.

3. A semiconductor memory device according to claim 2, wherein, each one of said sub memory arrays comprises a plurality of memory and comparison means (XRED) with respect to each one of said redundant memory cells, at least one redundant memory cell selection means (XRDN) and at least one said redundant memory cell activating means (RXDC).

4. A semiconductor memory device according to claim 2, wherein said semiconductor memory device comprises at least two separated bank structures, each comprising a plurality of said memory cells which forms a main memory cell array said main memory cell array being divided into a plurality of sub memory arrays, each one of said sub memory arrays including a plurality of normal memory cells, and each one of said banks operates in accordance with an externally applied address signal, and further wherein each one of said separated bank structures comprises a plurality of redundant memory cells, respectively.

5. A semiconductor memory device according to claim 4, wherein said device further comprises:

third means for storing information as to which failed memory cell of what memory cell array of said separated bank is to be replaced, and said memory and comparison means performing a comparison between contents of said third storage means and an externally applied memory array selection signal.

6. A semiconductor memory device according to claim 4, wherein each of said banks comprising plurality of memory and comparison means (XRED), a plurality of redundant memory cells selection means (XRDN) and a plurality of said redundant memory cell activating means (RXDC).

7. A semiconductor memory device according to claim 6, wherein at least one of said redundant memory cells selection means (XRDN) provided in one of said banks can be connected to one of said redundant memory cell activating means (RXDC) which is provided in a separate bank as the one in that said redundant memory cells selection means (XRDN) is provided.

8. A semiconductor memory device according to claim 6, wherein at least one of said redundant memory cell activating means (RXDC) provided in one of said banks can be connected to one of said redundant memory cells selection means (XRDN) which is provided in a separate bank as the one in that redundant memory cell activating means (RXDC) is provided.

9. A semiconductor memory device according to claim 8, said device further comprising:

a plurality of fourth means for storing, in response to said memory and comparison means, which redundant memory cell in which sub-memory cell array of said separated bank is to be replaced with which failed memory cell; and

second means for transmitting, based on an output of said memory and comparison means, contents of said fourth storage means to said redundant memory cell activation means.

10. A semiconductor memory device according to claim 9, wherein said fourth storage means is configured as an N-digit binary storage means and is capable of storing combinations of the second powers of N.

11. A semiconductor memory device according to claim 9, wherein said second transmission means is connected so said plurality of fourth storage means and is formed by a wired-OR node that transmits an N-digit binary quantity.

12. A semiconductor memory device according to claim 9, wherein said redundant memory cell activation means comprises:

means for decoding said second transmission means; and

means for latching a value or decoded value of said transmission means.

13. A semiconductor memory device according to claim 1, wherein each one of said redundant memory cell activating means (RXDC) is constituted so as to connect to any one of a plurality of said redundant memory cell selection means (XRDN), each of which is provided in each one of a plurality of sub-memory arrays constituting a main memory array.

14. A semiconductor memory device according to claim 13, wherein one of said redundant memory cell activating means (RXDC) provided in a first sub-memory array can be connected to a redundant memory cell selection means (XRDN), provided in a second sub-memory array.

15. A semiconductor memory device according to claim 1, wherein each one of said redundant memory cell selection means (XRDN) is constituted so as to connect to any one of a plurality of said redundant memory cell activating means (RXDC), each of which is provided in each one of a plurality of sub-memory arrays constituting a main memory array.

16. A semiconductor memory device according to claim 15, wherein one of said redundant memory cell selection means (XRDN) provided in a first sub-memory array can be connected to a redundant memory cell activating means (RXDC) provided in a second sub-memory array.

17. A semiconductor memory device according to claim 15, wherein said redundant memory cell selection means (XRDN) serving as a redundancy decoder means comprises means for programming which redundant memory cell should be replaced for a failed memory cell and means for programming how many of said failed memory cells should be replaced by said redundant memory cells, simultaneously.

18. A semiconductor memory device according to claim 17, wherein said redundant memory selection means (XRDN) selects a number of failed memory cells to be replaced by said redundant memory cell, from a group consisting of the numbers of 1, 2 and 4.

19. A semiconductor memory device according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of redundant memory cell activating means and a plurality of memory and comparison means, wherein upon detection of a failed memory cell, an arbitrary redundant memory cell activation means is selected by each one of said memory and comparison means in response to an output of said redundant memory cell selection circuit.

20. A semiconductor memory device comprising:

a plurality of normal memory cells;

an activation device that activates said memory cells (XDEC) in response to an externally applied address;

a plurality of redundant memory cells;

a memory and comparison device (XRED) comprising a storage device that stores an address of a failed memory cell existing within said plurality of normal memory cells and a comparison device that compares said externally applied address with said failed memory cell address;

a redundant memory cell selection device (XRDN) that selects any one of said plurality of redundant memory cells in response to an output signal output from said memory and comparison device (XRED); and

a redundant memory cell activating device (RXDC) that activates said redundant memory cell, responsive to an output of said memory and comparison device.