IP Library Granted Patent US 8,035,135
Granted Patent B2
US 8,035,135 · App. 12/496,996 · Granted Oct 11, 2011

Semiconductor memory device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,035,135
App. No.
12/496,996
Granted
Oct 11, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

To facilitate counting of memory cells in failure analysis, without limiting the arrangement of memory cells or increasing the number of processes. A memory cell array region 3 in which memory cells 3 a are formed in a repetitive pattern is formed on a semiconductor substrate 2 . Power supply wirings 4 a and ground wirings 4 b in a predetermined layer formed on the memory cell array region 3 are vertically and horizontally arranged in the form of a gird to correspond to the arrangement of the memory cells 3 a at least in the memory cell array region 3.

Claims (9)

1. A semiconductor memory device, comprising:

a memory cell array region in which memory cells are formed in a repetitive pattern on a semiconductor substrate of the semiconductor memory device, wherein

wirings in a predetermined layer formed on said memory cell array region are vertically and horizontally arranged in a form of a grid to correspond to the arrangement of said memory cells at least in said memory cell array region;

wherein each wiring in a horizontal direction of said wirings has a wiring width equal to a length of M cells, each wiring in a vertical direction of said wirings has a wiring width equal to a length of N cells, a distance in a horizontal direction between two of said wirings adjacent to each other is equal to a length of M cells, and a distance in a vertical direction between two of said wirings adjacent to each other is equal to a length of N cells, provided that M and N are natural numbers, respectively.

2. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , wherein said wirings are made of a material that can be observed with a focused ion beam analyzer, an optical microscope, or an electron microscope.

3. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , wherein said wirings are provided with marks, each mark formed every K cells in a horizontal direction and/or every L cells in a vertical direction, provided that K and L are natural numbers, respectively.

4. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 3 , wherein each of said marks is formed at a place where two of said wirings cross vertically and horizontally.

5. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , wherein said wirings comprise power supply wirings and/or ground wirings.

6. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , wherein said wirings are uppermost layer wirings formed in a uppermost layer among the wirings formed on said memory cell array region.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 26, 2010
From: NEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
To: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 025193/0156 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 2, 2009
From: HIRABAYASHI, SEIJI
To: NEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 022908/0480 →