Auto-blow memory repair
View Patent ↗In an example embodiment, a method may include collecting, at a controller within an integrated circuit, defect information indicative of defects identified during a built-in self-test (BIST) operation performed on plural memories embedded within the integrated circuit. Fuses within the integrated circuit may be blown based on the defect information collected automatically and without software intervention. The fuses blown may be used to inform a built-in self-repair (BISR) operation performed on the plural memories.
1. A method comprising:
during a logic reset of an integrated circuit, collecting, at a built-in self-repair (BISR) controller within the integrated circuit, defect information indicative of defects identified during a built-in self-test (BIST) operation performed on plural memories embedded within the integrated circuit, wherein the collecting the defect information is automated in hardware on the integrated circuit and the collecting includes sending a defect request from the BISR controller to at least one memory of the plural memories;
during the logic reset, blowing, by a fuse controller within the integrated circuit, one or more fuses within the integrated circuit based on the defect information collected, wherein the blowing the one or more fuses by the fuse controller is initiated and automated in hardware on the integrated circuit;
during the logic reset, using, by the BISR controller, one or more fuses blown to inform a built-in self-repair (BISR) operation performed on the plural memories by BISR logic, each of the plural memories having BISR logic embedded within.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein logic associated with the at least one memory of the plural memories receiving the defect request updates the defect information based on any defects identified during the BIST operation performed thereon and forwards the defect request with the updated defect information to the controller.
3. A method comprising:
a) during a logic reset of an integrated circuit, loading repair values from a register file into built-in self-repair (BISR) logic of memory embedded within the integrated circuit, the BISR logic embedded within the memory;
b) during the logic reset, collecting, at a built-in self-repair (BISR) controller within the integrated circuit, defects identified based on a first built-in self-test (BIST) operation associated with the memory, wherein the collecting the defect information is automated in hardware on the integrated circuit and the collecting includes sending a defect request from the BISR controller to the memory;
c) during the logic reset, updating the register file by storing the defects collected as repair values;
d) during the logic reset, blowing repair fuses of an eFuse macro within the integrated circuit based on the repair values updated in the register file, wherein the blowing of the repair fuses is initiated and automated in hardware on the integrated circuit.
4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:
loading repair values into the register file from the eFuse macro prior to step (a).
5. The method of claim 3 further comprising:
performing steps (a), (b), and (c) for a second BIST operation associated with the memory prior to step (d).
6. The method of claim 3 further comprising:
iteratively performing steps (a), (b), and (c) for successive BIST operations associated with the memory prior to step (d).
7. The method of claim 3 wherein the memory comprises plural memory blocks and loading the repair values from the register file into BISR logic includes sending the repair values to the plural memory blocks over a series chain connecting the plural memory blocks.
8. An apparatus, on an integrated circuit, the apparatus comprising:
a built-in self-repair (BISR) controller configured, during a logic reset of the integrated circuit, to collect defect information indicative of defects identified during a built-in self-test (BIST) operation performed on plural memories embedded within the integrated circuit, the BISR controller being further configured to collect the defect information in an automated manner in hardware on the integrated circuit including sending a defect request from the BISR controller to at least one memory of the plural memories;
a fuse controller configured, during the logic reset, to blow fuses of an eFuse macro based on the defect information collected without software intervention, wherein the blowing the fuses by the fuse controller is initiated and automated in hardware on the integrated circuit;
the BISR controller further configured, during the logic reset, to use the fuses blown to inform a BISR operation performed on the plural memories by BISR logic, each of the plural memories having BISR logic embedded within.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein a memory of the plural memories receiving the defect request updates the defect information based on any defects identified during the BIST operation performed thereon and forwards the defect request with the updated defect information to the BISR controller.
10. An apparatus, on an integrated circuit, the apparatus comprising:
during a logic reset of the integrated circuit, a built-in self-repair (BISR) controller configured, during a logic reset of the integrated circuit, to collect defects identified based on a first built-in self-test (BIST) operation associated with memory embedded within the integrated circuit including sending a defect request from the BISR controller to the memory, the BISR controller automated in hardware on the integrated circuit and the BISR controller further configured to inform a BISR operation performed by BISR logic, the BISR logic embedded within the memory, and configured to update a register file by storing the defects collected as repair values; and
during the logic reset, a fuse controller configured to blow repair fuses within an eFuse macro based on the repair values updated in the register file; wherein the fuse controller is initiated, without software intervention, to blow the fuses and the fuse controller further blows the fuses without software intervention.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the fuse controller is further configured to load repair values into the register file from the fuse macro, the BISR controller is further configured to load repair values from the register file into BISR logic of the memory and wherein the BISR logic is configured to perform a BISR operation on the memory based on the repair values loaded.
12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the memory comprises plural memory blocks and loading the repair values from the register file into BISR logic includes sending the repair values to the plural memory blocks over a series chain connecting the plural memory blocks.
13. An apparatus, on an integrated circuit, the apparatus comprising:
during a logic reset of an integrated circuit, means for collecting, at a built-in self-repair (BISR) controller within an integrated circuit, defect information indicative of defects identified during a built-in self-test (BIST) operation performed on plural memories embedded within the integrated circuit, wherein the means for collecting is automated in hardware on the integrated circuit and includes means for sending a defect request from the controller to at least one memory of the plural memories;
during the logic reset, means for blowing one or more fuses within the integrated circuit based on the defect information collected, wherein the blowing the one or more fuses by the fuse controller is initiated and automated in hardware on the integrated circuit;
during the logic reset, means for using, by the BISR controller, one or more fuses blown to inform a built-in self-repair (BISR) operation performed on the plural memories by BISR logic, each of the plural memories having BISR logic embedded within.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein logic associated with a memory of the plural memories receiving the defect request updates the defect information based on any defects identified during the BIST operation performed thereon and forwards the defect request with the updated defect information to the controller.
15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising collecting the defect information at different voltage and temperature corners of the integrated circuit.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the collecting is further initiated based upon a power up of the integrated circuit.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the collecting is further initiated based upon a warm reset of the integrated circuit.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the blowing the one or more fuses by the fuse controller is further initiated based upon a setting of a hardware enable signal of the integrated circuit.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the blowing the one or more fuses by the fuse controller is further initiated based upon the controller asserting a programming voltage enable signal of the integrated circuit.
20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the logic reset includes a hardware reset of the integrated circuit.