Semiconductor device with a plurality of one time programmable elements
View Patent ↗A semiconductor device with a plurality of one time programmable elements and to a method for programming a semiconductor device, and to a method for operating a semiconductor device is disclosed. One embodiment provides a method for programming a semiconductor device comprising a plurality of one time programmable elements that form a group of one time programmable elements. The one time programmable elements of the group are left in a non-programmed state if a first information is to be stored by the group. A first one time programmable element of the group is programmed if a second information differing from the first information is to be stored by the group.
1. A method for programming a semiconductor device comprising:
defining a plurality of one time programmable elements forming a group of one time programmable elements;
leaving the one time programmable elements of the group in a non-programmed state if a first information is to be stored by the group; and
programming a first one time programmable element of the group if a second information differing from the first information is to be stored by the group.
2. The method of claim 1 , additionally comprising:
programming a second one time programmable element of the group if the first information is to be stored again by the group.
3. The method of claim 2 , additionally comprising:
programming of the second one time programmable element of the group; and
programming a third one time programmable element of the group if the second information is to be stored again by the group.
4. The method of claim 3 , additionally comprising:
programming a fourth one time programmable element of the group if the first information is to be stored again by the group.
5. The method of claim 1 , comprising wherein the first information is a bit “0” and the second information is a bit “1”.
6. The method of claim 1 , comprising wherein the first information is a bit “1” and the second information is a bit “0”.
7. The method of claim 1 , comprising wherein the one time programmable elements are laser fuse resistors.
8. The method of claim 1 , comprising wherein the one time programmable elements are E-fuse resistors.
9. A method for operating a semiconductor device comprising:
defining a plurality of one time programmable elements forming a group of one time programmable elements;
determining whether a first information or a second information differing from the first information is stored by the group;
determining that the second information is stored by the group if a first one time programmable element of the group is in a programmed state, and the remaining one time programmable elements of the group are in a non-programmed state.
10. The method of claim 9 , comprising determining that the first information is stored by the group if the one time programmable elements of the group are in a non-programmed state.
11. The method of claim 9 , comprising determining that the first information is stored by the group if the first and second one time programmable elements of the group are in a programmed state, and the remaining one time programmable elements of the group are in a non-programmed state.
12. The method of claim 11 , comprising determining that the second information is stored by the group if the first and second and a third one time programmable elements of the group are in a programmed state, and the remaining one time programmable elements of the group are in a non-programmed state.
13. A method for operating a semiconductor device comprising:
defining a plurality of one time programmable elements forming a group of one time programmable elements;
determining whether a first information or a second information differing from the first information is stored by the group; and
determining that the second information is stored by the group if an odd number of the one time programmable elements of the group is in a programmed state.
14. A semiconductor device comprising:
a plurality of one time programmable elements forming a group of one time programmable elements for storing a first information or a second information differing from the first information; and
an evaluator configured for determining that the second information is stored by the group if an odd number of the one time programmable elements of the group is in a programmed state.
15. The semiconductor device of claim 14 , comprising wherein the evaluator determines that the first information is stored by the group if the one time programmable elements of the group are in a non-programmed state.
16. The semiconductor device of claim 15 , comprising wherein the evaluator determines that the second information is stored by the group if a first one time programmable element of the group is in a programmed state, and the remaining one time programmable elements of the group are in a non-programmed state.
17. The semiconductor device of claim 16 , comprising wherein the evaluation determines that the first information is stored by the group if the first and a second one time programmable elements of the group are in a programmed state, and the remaining one time programmable elements of the group are in a non-programmed state.
18. The semiconductor device of claim 14 , comprising a DRAM.
19. The semiconductor device of claim 14 , comprising a memory module.