Data processing system having memory sub-array redundancy and method therefor

• US 6,021,512 A
• Filed: 11/27/1996
• Issued: 02/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Masleid, Robert Paul, Lattimore, George McNeil, Muhich, John Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Iqbal, Nadeem
• Application Number:
  US08/758,410
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 371/10.2, 371/10.3, 371/22.5, 371/40.2, 371/40.13, 395/182.04, 395/182.05, 395/182.09, 395/183.01, 395/183.06, 395/183.18, 365/230.03, 365/230.04, 365/200, 365/201, 365/230.06, 365/189.02, 714/710, 714/711, 714/718, 714/719, 714/733, 714/742, 714/5, 714/6, 714/7, 714/30
• US Class Current: 714/710
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/70 Masking faults in memories by using spares or by reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 8/12 Group selection circuits, e.g. for memory block selection, chip selection, array selection

Abstract

One or more redundant sub-arrays (324) are added to a memory (316-322) of a data processing system (300) to allow a manufacturer to compensate for defects introduced during the fabrication phase of a semiconductor device upon which it is implemented. Each of these redundant sub-arrays includes a separate and independent wordline decoder (202), bitline decoder (206), and input/output circuit (208). Furthermore, the memory to which the redundant sub-array is added is typically an on-chip memory which is organized into bit-slice sub-arrays. The bit-slice organization of the memory allows the redundant sub-array to be chained together with the on-chip memory. Data-in/data-out multiplexers are used to steer bit-slices of the data around the defective sub-arrays.

Claims

1. A data processing system, comprising:

a central processing unit for providing a plurality of address values and a plurality of data values;

a memory coupled to the central processing unit for receiving the plurality of address values and communicating the plurality of data values;

a redundant memory array coupled to the central processing unit for receiving the plurality of address values and selectively communicating the plurality of data values, the redundant memory array, comprising;

a plurality of memory cells; and

a wordline decoder coupled only to the plurality of memory cells; and

a multiplexer coupled to the memory for receiving a first data value and coupled to the redundant memory array for receiving a first redundant data value, the multiplexer selectively providing one of the first data value and the first redundant data value as a data output value.

2. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the redundant memory array further comprises:

a bitline decoder coupled only to the plurality of memory cells.

3. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the redundant memory array further comprises:

an input/output circuit coupled only to the plurality of memory cells.

4. The data processing system of claim 1 wherein the memory further comprises a plurality of sub-arrays, wherein each of the plurality of sub-arrays comprises a plurality of memory cells.

5. The data processing system of claim 4 wherein each of the plurality of sub-arrays further comprises:

a wordline decoder coupled to the plurality of memory cells.

6. The data processing system of claim 4 wherein each of the plurality of sub-arrays further comprises:

a bitline decoder coupled to the plurality of memory cells.

7. The data processing system of claim 4 wherein each of the plurality of sub-arrays further comprises:

an input/output circuit coupled to the plurality of memory cells.

8. The data processing system of claim 1 wherein the multiplexer selectively provides the first redundant data value as the data output value when the memory provides an erroneous first data value.

9. The data processing system of claim 1 wherein the multiplexer selectively provides the first redundant data value as the data output value when the memory is defective.

10. A data processing system, comprising:

a central processing unit for providing a plurality of address values and a plurality of data values;

a memory coupled to the central processing unit for receiving the plurality of address values and communicating the plurality of data values;

a redundant memory array coupled to the central processing unit for receiving the plurality of address values and selectively communicating the plurality of data values, the redundant memory array, comprising;

a plurality of memory cells; and

a wordline decoder coupled only to the plurality of memory cells;

a redundancy control circuit coupled to the central processing unit to receive the plurality of address values, the redundancy control circuit providing a redundant control signal to indicate a portion of the memory is defective; and

a multiplexer coupled to the memory for receiving a first data value, coupled to the redundant memory array for receiving a first redundant data value, and coupled to the redundancy control circuit for receiving the redundant control signal, the multiplexer providing the first data value as a data output value when the redundant control signal is in a first logic state and the multiplexer providing the first redundant data value as the data output value when the redundant control signal is in a second logic state.

11. A data processing system, comprising:

a central processing unit for providing a plurality of address values and a plurality of data values;

a memory coupled to the central processing unit for receiving the plurality of address values and communicating the plurality of data values;

a redundant memory array coupled to the central processing unit for receiving the plurality of address values and selectively communicating the plurality of data values, the redundant memory array, comprising;

a plurality of memory cells; and

a wordline decoder coupled only to the plurality of memory cells;

a redundancy control circuit coupled to the central processing unit to receive the plurality of address values, the redundancy control circuit providing a redundant control signal to indicate a portion of the memory is defective; and

a multiplexer coupled to the central processing unit for receiving the plurality of data values and coupled to the redundancy control circuit for receiving the redundant control signal, the multiplexer providing a first one of the plurality of data values to the memory when the redundant control signal is in a first logic state and providing the first one of the plurality of data values to the redundant memory array when the redundant control signal is in a second logic state.

12. A data processing system comprising:

a central processing unit for providing a plurality of address values and a plurality of data values;

a memory coupled to the central processing unit for receiving the plurality of address values and communicating the plurality of data values;

a redundant memory array coupled to the central processing unit for receiving the plurality of address values and selectively communicating the plurality of data values, the redundant memory array, comprising;

a plurality of memory cells; and

a wordline decoder coupled only to the plurality of memory cells,

wherein the redundant control signal enables the redundant memory to a stored data value when the plurality of address values correspond to the portion of the memory which is defective.

13. A method for operating a data processing system, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of address values and a plurality of data values;

receiving by a memory the plurality of address values and communicating the plurality of data values;

receiving by a redundant memory array the plurality of address values and selectively communicating the plurality of data values;

receiving by a multiplexer a first data value from the memory and receiving by the multiplexer a first redundant data value from the redundant memory array; and

selectively providing by the multiplexer one of the first data value and the first redundant data value as a data output value.

14. A memory system, comprising:

a memory, comprising;

first interface means for receiving a plurality of address values and for selectively communicating a plurality of data values;

a plurality of memory cells; and

a wordline decoder coupled to the first interface means for selectively receiving a first one of the plurality of address values and accessing a portion of the plurality of memory cells corresponding to the first one of the plurality of address values;

a redundant memory, comprising;

second interface means for receiving the plurality of address values and for selectively communicating the plurality of data values;

a plurality of redundant memory cells; and

a redundant wordline decoder coupled to the second interface means for selectively receiving the first one of the plurality of address values and accessing a portion of the plurality of redundant memory cells corresponding to the first one of the plurality of address values; and

a multiplexer coupled to the memory for receiving a first data value and coupled to the redundant memory array for receiving a first redundant data value, the multiplexer selectively providing one of the first data value and the first redundant data value as a data output value.