Memory Module Dedicated Repair Devices Hard Error Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current memory systems with error codes are limited in correcting multiple hard errors in a memory component, leading to reliability issues before the component fails, necessitating improved error detection and repair schemes.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating dedicated memory devices to store failure address information and substitute data locations within memory modules, allowing for enhanced error correction capabilities without requiring complex changes to existing memory devices or controllers, and utilizing identical memory devices for cost savings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If standard error correction codes are used in memory systems, then single-bit errors can be detected and corrected, but the number of hard errors that can be corrected is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The memory system is segmented into primary memory devices and dedicated repair memory devices. The repair memory devices are further segmented into those storing failure address information and those storing substitute data locations. This segmentation allows the system to handle multiple error types separately, significantly increasing the number of correctable hard errors without requiring a completely complex new error correction architecture
Solution Approach 2:
Dedicated repair memory devices act as intermediaries between the primary memory devices and the memory controller. These intermediary devices store failure address information and substitute data locations, enabling the system to correct multiple hard errors by redirecting access away from defective locations without requiring complex changes to the primary memory devices or controller
2Reliability
If more error correction capability is added to memory systems, then more hard errors can be corrected, but the overhead and complexity of the encoding increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses identical memory devices for both primary memory storage and for storing failure address information and substitute data locations. This homogeneity simplifies the encoding scheme by using the same device type and interface protocols throughout, reducing the complexity overhead while maintaining enhanced error correction capability
Solution Approach 2:
Failure address information and substitute data locations are pre-stored in dedicated repair memory devices during manufacturing or initialization. This preliminary action allows the system to immediately correct multiple hard errors without requiring complex real-time encoding decisions, thereby increasing correctable error count while keeping the active encoding scheme relatively simple
3Reliability
If dedicated repair devices are added to memory modules, then error correction capability increases, but the cost and device count increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dedicated repair memory devices perform multiple functions: storing failure address information, storing substitute data locations, and providing corrected data to the memory controller. This multi-functionality increases error correction capability without requiring separate dedicated components for each function, thereby improving reliability while limiting the increase in device quantity
Data Source
AI summary
A memory module is disclosed. The memory module includes a substrate, and respective first, second and third memory devices. The first memory device is of a first type disposed on the substrate and has addressable storage locations. The second memory device is also of the first type, and includes storage cells dedicated to store failure address information associated with defective storage locations in the first memory device. The third memory device is of the first type and includes storage cells dedicated to substitute as storage locations for the defective storage locations.