Method and apparatus for redundant location addressing using data compression

• US 6,842,874 B1
• Filed: 10/24/2000
• Issued: 01/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Voshell, Thomas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lamarre, Guy J.
• Application Number:
  US09/695,756
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: 714/718, 714/723, 714/737, 714/710, 714/711, 714/68, 714/40, 714/41, 714/42, 714/8, 714/6, 257/208, 257/203, 341/50, 341/51, 341/95, 365200-202, 365/225, 365/230.03, 365/230.04, 365/230.08, 365/51, 365/210, 365/189.02, 365/189.07, 365/225.7, 365/185.09, 365/185.07, 365/185.33, 701/101, 701/216, 710/68, 712/237, 712/839, 711/6, 713/200, 717/126, 717/148
• US Class Current: 714/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/02 Addressing or allocation; Relocation program address sequencing G06F9/00; arrangements for selecting an address in a digital store G11C8/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/44 Indication or identification of errors, e.g. for repair
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/76 using address translation or modifications

Abstract

A method and apparatus for identifying defective cells in a memory array includes receiving a request for accessing an address and analyzing the address to determine when the address matches an address stored in a temporary memory array. When the address does not match any address stored in the temporary memory array, a wait instruction is sent to a processor and the address is analyzed to determine which portion of compressed data stored in a map memory array to decompress. The map memory array stores data containing compressed addresses of defective cells in a first memory array. The portion of compressed data is then decompressed to provide expanded data when the address does not match any address stored in the temporary memory array. The expanded data are then written to the temporary memory array, and the expanded data are compared to the address to determine when the address corresponds to an expanded datum of the expanded data.

Claims

1. A method for accessing a memory location, comprising:

comparing a memory address of a memory access request to a first memory to decompressed defective memory addresses that are otherwise stored in a compressed format in a second memory, the defective memory addresses having substitute addresses associated and stored therewith;

where the memory address matches one of the decompressed defective memory addresses, extracting the substitute address associated therewith; and

accessing a memory location in a third memory corresponding to the extracted substitute address rather than a memory location in the first memory corresponding to the memory address.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein comparing the memory address of the memory access request comprises:

decompressing a portion of at least one of the stored defective memory address;

calculating a value from the memory address; and

comparing the calculated value to the decompressed portion.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

where the calculated value fails to match the decompressed portion of the defective memory address, decompressing a portion of another one of the stored defective memory addresses; and

comparing the calculated value to the most recently decompressed portion.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein calculating a value from the memory address comprises dividing the value represented by the memory address by a prime number.

5. A method for accessing memory locations corresponding to memory addresses, the method comprising:

comparing the received memory addresses for memory locations in a first memory to decompressed addresses of defective memory locations in the first memory device stored in a second memory, the decompressed addresses of the defective memory locations otherwise stored in a compressed format having associated therewith substitute addresses corresponding to substitute memory locations in a third memory; and

substituting for the memory addresses for memory locations in the first memory matching the decompressed addresses of defective memory locations the associated substitute memory addresses to access the substitute memory locations in the third memory.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the decompressed addresses of defective memory locations in the memory device are stored in a compressed format and wherein comparing the received memory addresses comprises decompressing at least one of the stored addresses of defective memory locations, and comparing a received memory address to the decompressed address.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the decompressed addresses of defective memory locations in the first memory are stored in a compressed format and wherein comparing the received memory addresses comprises:

decompressing a portion of at least one of the stored addresses of defective memory locations;

calculating a value from a received memory address; and

comparing the calculated value to the decompressed portion.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

where the calculated value fails to match the decompressed portion of the stored address of a defective memory location, decompressing a portion of another one of the stored addresses of defective memory locations; and

comparing the calculated value to the most recently decompressed portion.

9. A method for accessing a requested memory location having a requested address, the method comprising:

generating a first hash code from the requested address to a memory location in a first memory;

comparing the first hash code to hash codes for decompressed addresses stored in a temporary memory array;

when a match is found between a hash code for a decompressed address and the first hash code, determining if an address stored in the temporary memory array corresponds to the requested address; and

accessing a spare memory array when an address stored in the temporary array corresponds to the requested address.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein generating the first hash code comprises dividing the value represented by the requested address by a prime number.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the memory array and the spare memory array are separate memory devices.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein determining if an address stored in the temporary array corresponds to the requested address comprises comparing the requested address with decompressed addresses having the same hash code until a match is made.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the memory array and spare memory array comprise two separate memory devices.

14. A method for storing memory addresses of defective cells of a first memory array in a second memory array, the method comprising:

receiving a memory test command;

initiating a memory test in response to the memory test command, the memory test for determining memory addresses of defective memory cells of the first memory array;

mapping memory addresses of defective memory cells to substitute addresses of substitute memory cells of a third memory array; and

compressing the memory addresses of defective memory cells and the substitute addresses associated therewith.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein initiating the memory test comprises storing addresses of defective memory cells in the second memory array.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising storing the compressed address data in a map memory array.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating a unique code word for each of the addresses of the defective memory cells.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising issuing the memory test command upon initially powering-up the memory array.

19. A method of remapping defective memory locations of a primary memory, the method comprising:

identifying memory addresses of the defective memory locations in the primary memory;

mapping the identified memory addresses of the primary memory to substitute memory addresses that correspond to substitute memory locations in a spare memory,

storing the identified memory addresses of the primary memory and the substitute memory addresses of the spare memory; and

in response to a request to access a defective memory location in the primary memory, substituting the associated substitute memory address in the spare memory for the memory address corresponding to the requested defective memory location in the primary memory.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the primary memory having the defective memory locations comprises a first memory device and the spare memory comprises a second memory device.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein identifying the defective memory locations comprises testing all of the memory locations of the primary memory prior to accepting a first memory access request.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising compressing the defective memory addresses and the substitute addresses prior to storing.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein compressing the defective memory addresses comprises generating a unique code word for each defective memory address.

24. A method for accessing memory locations, the method comprising steps of:

determining whether a memory address of a memory location in a first memory matches an address of a defective memory cell, the addresses stored in a temporary memory array;

where a match is determined, accessing a substitute memory location in a third memory corresponding to a substitute memory address associated and stored with the matching address, the substitute memory location located in the third memory; and

otherwise, access the memory location in the memory array corresponding to the memory address.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein determining whether the memory address matches comprises:

analyzing the memory address to determine which portion of compressed data stored in a map memory array containing compressed addresses of defective cells in the first memory to decompress;

decompressing the portion of compressed data to provide expanded data;

writing the expanded data to the temporary memory array; and

comparing the expanded data to the memory address to determine whether the address corresponds to an expanded datum of the expanded data, when the address and the expanded datum match.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein analyzing the memory address comprises:

generating a hash code from the memory address; and

comparing the hash code to hash codes identifying each portion of compressed data stored in the map memory array.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein generating a hash code from the memory address comprises dividing the value represented by the memory address by a prime number.