Granted Patent B2

US 7,003,704 · App. 10/292,359 · Granted Feb 21, 2006

Abstract

Claims (26)

1. A Built In Self Test (BIST) circuit for testing memory in an integrated circuit, said integrated circuit implementing a row and column redundancy calculation for enabling replacement of a defective row or column of memory cells, the BIST circuit comprising:

means for testing rows comprising memory cells in said memory and for detecting for a first single memory cell failure in a row;

encoder device for determining a bit location of a first single memory cell failed and storing an encoded value representing said bit location of said failed memory cell;

means for detecting whether more than one single cell failure has occurred for a tested row, and, in response to detecting more than one single cell failure for said tested row, said means generating a bit indicating that row as a defective row to be replaced; and,

means for comparing said encoded value of said location determined for a failed memory cell detected in a subsequent tested row, with said stored encoded value associated with said first single memory cell failed, said means generating a bit indicating defective column to be replaced when said encoded bit value location for a failed memory cell of that subsequent row is equal to said stored encoded value associated with said first single memory cell failed,

whereby given the indication of defective bits set, the defective column corresponding to the encoded bit location of the detected failed memory cell and the defective row of memory is replaced.

2. The BIST circuit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said encoded bit location corresponds to a column of memory cells in said memory.

3. The BIST circuit as claimed in claim 1 , whereby if no more than a first single cell failure has occurred for a tested row and no bit indicating a defective column to be replaced has been set, then either the row or column including to that first single memory cell failure is replaced.

4. The BIST circuit as claimed in claim 1 , further including a failed address register device for storing an address location of a row including said detected failed memory cell indicated for row replacement.

5. The BIST circuit as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said failed address register device further stores said encoded bit value location for a failed memory cell of that row.

6. The BIST circuit as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said failed address register further stores said bit indicating a defective column to be replaced and said bit indicating a defective row to be replaced.

7. A method for testing memory in an integrated circuit implementing a row and column redundancy calculation for enabling replacement of a defective row or column of memory cells, the method comprising the steps of:

a) testing a row of memory cells in said memory for detecting a first single memory cell failure in a row;

b) determining a bit location of said first single memory cell failed, and storing an encoded value representing said bit location of said failed memory cell;

c) detecting whether more than one single cell failure has occurred for a tested row, and, in response to detecting more than one single cell failure has occurred for a said row, generating a bit indicating that row as a defective row to be replaced;

d) for each subsequent row tested, in response to detection of a failed memory cell for a subsequent row, comparing said encoded bit value location for a failed memory cell of that subsequent tested row with said stored encoded value associated with said first single memory cell; and

e) generating a bit indicating defective column to be replaced when said encoded bit value location for a failed memory cell of that subsequent row is equal to said stored encoded value associated with said first single memory cell, and

f) replacing said defective column corresponding to the encoded bit location of the detected failed memory cell and replacing the defective row of said memory when corresponding defective bits are set.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said encoded bit location corresponds to a column of memory cells in said memory.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7 , whereby if no more than said first single cell failure has occurred for a tested row as determined in step c) and no bit indicating defective column to be replaced has been set, then step f) includes the step of utilizing a either row or column replacement for that determined first single memory cell failure.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7 , further including the step of storing an address location of a row including said detected failed memory cell for said row redundancy in a failed address register.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 , further including the step of storing said encoded bit value location for a failed memory cell of that row in said failed address register.

12. The method as claimed in claim 7 , further including the step of storing said bit indicating a defective column to be replaced and said bit indicating a defective row to be replaced in said failed address register.

13. An apparatus for testing a memory and implementing redundancy with built-in self-test (BIST) wherein said redundancy includes at least one spare row and at least one spare column, said memory with BIST comprising:

means for calculating a fail bit encode value corresponding to a detected failed memory cell; and

a greater-than-one detect circuit for determining if more than one cell has failed a particular row tested, wherein said BIST utilizes said fail bit encode value when column redundancy is to be implemented.

Assignments (8)