Granted Patent B2

US 7,679,974 · App. 11/550,900 · Granted Mar 16, 2010

Abstract

Claims (21)

1. A method comprising:

determining whether a select bit cell of a bit cell array of a memory device is a defective bit cell; and

electrically decoupling the select bit cell from a power source of the memory device by disrupting a conductivity of a fuse coupling a power input of a select portion of the bit cell array to the power source in response to determining the select bit cell is a defective bit cell, the select portion comprising the select bit cell.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein disrupting the conductivity of the fuse comprises applying light energy to the fuse.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein disrupting the conductivity of the fuse comprises applying a current to the fuse.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

configuring a repair array to indicate a rerouting of a memory address associated with the select portion of the bit cell array to another portion of the bit cell array.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the bit cell array includes the select bit cell, the method further comprising:

determining whether any bit cell of a second portion of the bit cell array is a defective bit cell; and

electrically coupling the second portion of the bit cell array to the power source of the memory device in response to determining no bit cell of the second portion of the bit cell array is a defective bit cell.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein:

electrically coupling the second portion of the bit cell array to the power source comprises maintaining a conductivity of a second fuse coupling a power input of the second portion of the bit cell array to the power source.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein electrically decoupling the select bit cell from the power source comprises configuring the memory device to electrically decouple the select bit cell during a fabrication of the memory device.

8. A memory device comprising:

a bit cell array comprising a plurality of bit cells;

a fuse comprising an input coupled to a power source and an output coupled to a power input of a select portion of the bit cell array, the fuse configurable to decouple the power input of the select portion from the power source in response to the select portion comprising a defective bit cell.

9. The memory device of claim 8 , further comprising a repair array configurable to facilitate rerouting of memory addresses at the memory device.

10. The memory device of claim 8 , wherein a first portion of the bit cell array comprises the select portion, the memory device further comprising:

means for electrically coupling a second portion of the bit cell array to the power source in response to the second portion of the bit cell array not comprising a defective bit cell.

11. The memory device of claim 10 , wherein:

the means for electrically coupling the second portion of the bit cell array comprises a second fuse configurable to couple a power input of the second portion of the bit cell array to the power source.

Assignments (37)