Methods and apparatus for disabling a memory-array portion
View Patent ↗A memory device having a plurality of storage locations disposed along a plurality of generally parallel lines includes, connected to the lines, a decoder circuit for selecting one line, and, connected to each line, a line-disabling circuit for selectively preventing the line from being energized during line selection.
1. A memory device comprising:
a memory array comprising a plurality of storage locations disposed along a plurality of generally parallel lines;
connected to each of the plurality of lines, a driver device for energizing the line connected thereto;
a decoder circuit for selecting one of the driver devices connected to a line to energize; and
connected to each of the driver devices, a line-disabling circuit for selectively preventing the line, to which the driver device is connected, from being energized during line selection, each line-disabling circuit comprising a programmable device for selectively disabling the line,
wherein the programmable devices are programmed by the driver devices.
2. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein each of the line-disabling circuits is programmably actuable.
3. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein each of the line-disabling circuits comprises a discharge path preventing the associated line from being energized.
4. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein at least one line-disabling circuit is configured to enable a previously disabled line.
5. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein each line-disabling circuit comprises at least one of an antifuse, a fuse, a floating-gate device, or a phase-change device.
6. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the decoder circuit comprises a pattern of diodes.
7. The memory device of claim 1 , further comprising, intersecting the plurality of lines, a second plurality of generally parallel lines, each storage location being disposed proximate an intersection point.
8. The memory device of claim 7 , further comprising, intersecting the plurality of lines and the second plurality of lines, a third plurality of generally parallel lines.
9. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the memory array is a single block of a multiple-block memory circuit.
10. The memory device of claim 9 , wherein the memory circuit has a three-dimensional topology.
11. A method of operating a memory array comprising a plurality of storage locations disposed along a plurality of lines, each line being connected to a driver device, each driver device being connected to a line-disabling circuit comprising a programmable device (i) corresponding to the line and (ii) for selectively disabling the line, the method comprising:
disabling at least one line by programming the at least one programmable device corresponding to the at least one line, each programmable device being programmed by the driver device to which it is connected;
applying a voltage to the plurality of driver devices such that charge is stored at the driver devices, current not flowing through the at least one disabled line thereduring; and
selecting a single line such that the charge stored at the driver devices enables application of voltage to the single line.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, after selecting the single line, enabling the at least one disabled line.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein disabling the at least one line comprises fusing an antifuse connected thereto.
14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, prior to disabling the at least one line, identifying the at least one line as defective.
15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising selecting a single second line intersecting the selected line in order to read or write information at a storage location disposed proximate the intersection point.
16. A method of forming a memory device, the method comprising:
forming a memory array comprising a plurality of storage locations disposed along a plurality of generally parallel lines;
forming, connected to each of the plurality of lines, a driver device for energizing the line connected thereto;
forming a decoder circuit for selecting one of the driver devices connected to a line to energize; and
forming, connected to each of the driver devices, a line-disabling circuit for selectively preventing the line, to which the driver device is connected, from being energized during line selection, each line-disabling circuit comprising a programmable device for selectively disabling the line,
wherein the programmable devices are programmed by the driver devices.
17. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the memory array is programmed with data comprising at least one of music, video, computer software, a computer application, reference data, text, or a diagram.
18. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the memory device is at least a portion of a removable memory device.