Semiconductor Repair Circuit Fuse Array Reuse
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional semiconductor repair circuits face inefficiencies due to a large circuit area and increased redundancy, resulting from unused fuses in the fuse array, which degrades efficiency and increases the circuit area.
Innovation Solution
A repair circuit design that includes a latch array and a fuse array configured with repair address data and latch address data, utilizing decoders to selectively output and store data, and a counting controller to manage the fuse sets, allowing for the reuse of unused fuses in refresh operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fuse array and latch array are matched one to one in conventional repair circuits, then repair operations can be performed, but a large number of unused fuses exist resulting in degraded efficiency and increased circuit area
Solution Approach 1:
The fuse array is designed to serve multiple functions: it not only performs repair operations by matching with the latch array but also stores refresh address data for memory refresh operations. This multi-functionality allows the same fuse array to be utilized for both repair and refresh purposes, eliminating the need for separate dedicated structures and thereby reducing the overall circuit area while maintaining reliable repair operations.
2Reliability
If a fuse array and latch array are matched one to one in conventional repair circuits, then repair operations can be performed, but the efficiency of the fuse array is degraded due to unused fuses
Solution Approach 1:
The fuse array is designed to serve multiple functions: it not only performs repair operations by matching with the latch array but also stores refresh address data for memory refresh operations. This multi-functionality allows the same fuse array to be utilized for both repair and refresh purposes, eliminating the need for separate dedicated structures and thereby reducing the overall circuit area while maintaining reliable repair operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding the unused fuses in the fuse array, the invention recovers their potential by utilizing them for storing refresh address data. This recovery of unused resources improves the overall efficiency of the fuse array by ensuring that all fuse elements serve a useful purpose, whether for repair operations or refresh operations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If repair address data and latch address data are stored in each fuse set, then selective data output is enabled, but the circuit complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fuse array is pre-configured with both repair address data and latch address data during the fuse blowing process. This preliminary action of storing multiple types of data in advance eliminates the need for complex real-time data generation or conversion circuits, thereby reducing overall circuit complexity while maintaining the capability for selective data output based on different operational modes.
Data Source
AI summary
A repair circuit may be provided. The repair circuit may include a latch array including a plurality of latch sets. The repair circuit may include a fuse array including a plurality of fuse sets, and configured to be written, in each fuse set, with repair address data and latch address data which defines a position of a latch set where the repair address data is to be stored, among the plurality of latch sets. The repair circuit may include a first decoder configured to cause data written in any one fuse set among the plurality of fuse sets to be outputted, and a second decoder configured to cause the repair address data to be stored in the latch set corresponding to the latch address data among the plurality of latch sets.