GB2170657A - Semiconductor memory device - Google Patents
Semiconductor memory device Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2170657A GB2170657A GB8502915A GB8502915A GB2170657A GB 2170657 A GB2170657 A GB 2170657A GB 8502915 A GB8502915 A GB 8502915A GB 8502915 A GB8502915 A GB 8502915A GB 2170657 A GB2170657 A GB 2170657A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- memory
- memory device
- functional
- chips
- arrays
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
- G11C—STATIC STORES
- G11C29/00—Checking stores for correct operation ; Subsequent repair; Testing stores during standby or offline operation
- G11C29/70—Masking faults in memories by using spares or by reconfiguring
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
- G11C—STATIC STORES
- G11C5/00—Details of stores covered by group G11C11/00
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L23/00—Details of semiconductor or other solid state devices
- H01L23/52—Arrangements for conducting electric current within the device in operation from one component to another, i.e. interconnections, e.g. wires, lead frames
- H01L23/538—Arrangements for conducting electric current within the device in operation from one component to another, i.e. interconnections, e.g. wires, lead frames the interconnection structure between a plurality of semiconductor chips being formed on, or in, insulating substrates
- H01L23/5382—Adaptable interconnections, e.g. for engineering changes
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L2924/00—Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
- H01L2924/0001—Technical content checked by a classifier
- H01L2924/0002—Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
- Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
- Power Engineering (AREA)
- For Increasing The Reliability Of Semiconductor Memories (AREA)
Abstract
A memory device comprises a plurality of functional or part functional memory chips mounted on a common carrier. The carrier has redundant wiring for coupling to the functional cells of the memory chips. By utilising part functional chips the effective yield of the chip fabrication process is increased.
Description
SPECIFICATION
Semiconductor memory device
This invention relates to semiconductor memories, and in particular to random access memories.
As the complexity of semiconductor memory circuits increases the yield of fully functional devices decreases rapidly. For example, the step from a 64K random access memory to a 256K memory requires a very high degree of expertise to overcome the yield problem. This problem of low yield is particularly acute where a new circuit is to be manufactured and the necessary processing experience has yet to be gained. Thus, the introduction of a new more complex circuit involves an induction or 'learning' period before the manufacturing process becomes profitable. During this period considerable losses may be incurred.
The object of the invention is to minimise or to overcome this disadvantage.
According to the invention there is provided a memory device, including a plurality of semiconductor memory chips each having memory cells disposed in two or more arrays, and a support structure to which said chips are bonded, wherein said support has a conductor pattern whereby the functional cells of the memory chips may be accessed.
In a memory circuit the majority of the chip area is occupied by memory cells. Thus processing faults occur most commonly in the memory array rather than the control and accessing circuitry. By dividing the array into, typically four, sub-arrays and providing separate access pads to these sub-arrays, circuits that are only partly functional may be utilised.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accom -panying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a random access memory;
Figure 2 is a plan view of a memory device incorporating a plurality of memories, of the type shown in Fig. 1,
and Figure 3 is a sectional view of the memory device of Fig. 2.
Referring to Fig. 1, the memory circuit, e.g.
a 256K dynamic random access memory, has a plurality of memory cells disposed together with their associated sense amplifiers in four similar rectangular arrays 11 to 14. The memory also includes double-sided X-decoders 15,
Y-decoders 16, double-sided Y-decoders 17, clocks 18 and common address latches 19.
The operation of these portions of a random access memory is well known in the art.
External connection to the memory arrays
11 to 14 is provided via contact pads 20, one pair from each array of memory cells.
Further contact pads (not shown) are provided for the common address latches 19. It will be clear that a single memory array fault will affect only one of the four arrays of cells. Thus, provided that the control circuitry of the device is functional, the remaining good arrays can still be used for storage. In this event connection is made only to the contact pads coupled to the remaining good arrays and of course, to the control circuitry.
Figs. 2 and 3 show a memory device formed from a plurality of fully functional or part functional memory chips. The device comprises a laminar support member 21 provided with a plurality of output terminals 22.
Memory chips 23 mounted on the support 21 are coupled to the terminals 22 via a conductor pattern (not shown) disposed on the support. The conductor pattern includes bonding pads 24 disposed around the mounting area of each chip and to which the chip contact pads, with the exception of those pads associated with defective memory arrays, are connected. Advantageously the assembly is encapsulated in an insulating plastics housing 25. Preferably the conductor pattern incorporates redundant wiring to facilitate connection to the functional memory arrays.
The assembly functions electrically as a single high capacity memory device. For example, a 576K dynamic RAM may be provided by the following combinations of three fully or part functional chips to provide a total of nine functional arrays: 4+4+1=9 4+3+2=9 3+3+3=9
It will be appreciated that as part functional chips can be utilised the effective yield of the manufacturing process is considerably increased. The technique is not of course limited to dynamic RAM's but can of course also be used with static RAM's where again the memory cells occupy the bulk of the chip area.
The most effective way of utilising the functional and part functional chips will depend on their relative numbers and can be determined by simple linear programming techniques.
Claims (5)
1. A memory device, including a plurality of semiconductor memory chips each having memory cells disposed in two or more arrays, and a support structure to which said chips are bonded, wherein said support has a conductor pattern whereby the functional cells of the memory chips may be accessed.
2. A memory device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said chips comprise random access memories.
3. A memory device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the memory cells of each said chip are disposed in four similar arrays.
4. A memory device as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the support structure is provided with a conductor pattern including redundant wiring whereby connection to the functional memory arrays may be effected.
5. A memory device substantially as de
scribed herein with reference to the accom
panying drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB8502915A GB2170657B (en) | 1985-02-05 | 1985-02-05 | Semiconductor memory device |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB8502915A GB2170657B (en) | 1985-02-05 | 1985-02-05 | Semiconductor memory device |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
GB8502915D0 GB8502915D0 (en) | 1985-03-06 |
GB2170657A true GB2170657A (en) | 1986-08-06 |
GB2170657B GB2170657B (en) | 1988-01-27 |
Family
ID=10573987
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
GB8502915A Expired GB2170657B (en) | 1985-02-05 | 1985-02-05 | Semiconductor memory device |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
GB (1) | GB2170657B (en) |
Cited By (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP0343829A2 (en) * | 1988-05-20 | 1989-11-29 | Time And Data Systems International Limited | Card or badge for carrying data and reader therefor |
FR2645320A1 (en) * | 1989-03-31 | 1990-10-05 | Gen Electric Cgr | COMPACT MEMORY MODULE FOR DATA MEMORY CARD OF AN IMAGE PROCESSOR |
EP0395612A2 (en) * | 1989-04-28 | 1990-10-31 | International Business Machines Corporation | Memory unit and method of making the same |
EP0454447A3 (en) * | 1990-04-26 | 1993-12-08 | Hitachi Ltd | Semiconductor device assembly |
EP0578970A2 (en) * | 1992-06-25 | 1994-01-19 | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | Fabrication method for an integrated semi-conductor memory with a predetermined storage capacity |
EP0579924A1 (en) * | 1992-06-24 | 1994-01-26 | International Business Machines Corporation | Intra-module spare routing for high density electronic packages |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB1326994A (en) * | 1970-02-02 | 1973-08-15 | Western Electric Co | Arrangements for electrically connecting integrated ciruits |
EP0067677A2 (en) * | 1981-06-15 | 1982-12-22 | Fujitsu Limited | Chip-array-constructed semiconductor device |
GB2126013A (en) * | 1982-08-18 | 1984-03-14 | Bowthorpe Holdings Plc | Microprocessor system |
-
1985
- 1985-02-05 GB GB8502915A patent/GB2170657B/en not_active Expired
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB1326994A (en) * | 1970-02-02 | 1973-08-15 | Western Electric Co | Arrangements for electrically connecting integrated ciruits |
EP0067677A2 (en) * | 1981-06-15 | 1982-12-22 | Fujitsu Limited | Chip-array-constructed semiconductor device |
GB2126013A (en) * | 1982-08-18 | 1984-03-14 | Bowthorpe Holdings Plc | Microprocessor system |
Cited By (14)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP0343829A2 (en) * | 1988-05-20 | 1989-11-29 | Time And Data Systems International Limited | Card or badge for carrying data and reader therefor |
EP0343829A3 (en) * | 1988-05-20 | 1990-05-09 | Time And Data Systems International Limited | Card or badge for carrying data and reader therefor |
FR2645320A1 (en) * | 1989-03-31 | 1990-10-05 | Gen Electric Cgr | COMPACT MEMORY MODULE FOR DATA MEMORY CARD OF AN IMAGE PROCESSOR |
EP0392892A1 (en) * | 1989-03-31 | 1990-10-17 | General Electric Cgr S.A. | Compact memory module for data memory card of an image processor |
EP0395612A2 (en) * | 1989-04-28 | 1990-10-31 | International Business Machines Corporation | Memory unit and method of making the same |
EP0395612A3 (en) * | 1989-04-28 | 1991-09-25 | International Business Machines Corporation | Memory unit and method of making the same |
EP0454447A3 (en) * | 1990-04-26 | 1993-12-08 | Hitachi Ltd | Semiconductor device assembly |
US5332922A (en) * | 1990-04-26 | 1994-07-26 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Multi-chip semiconductor package |
US5701031A (en) * | 1990-04-26 | 1997-12-23 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Sealed stacked arrangement of semiconductor devices |
USRE37539E1 (en) * | 1990-04-26 | 2002-02-05 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Sealed stacked arrangement of semiconductor devices |
EP0579924A1 (en) * | 1992-06-24 | 1994-01-26 | International Business Machines Corporation | Intra-module spare routing for high density electronic packages |
US5414637A (en) * | 1992-06-24 | 1995-05-09 | International Business Machines Corporation | Intra-module spare routing for high density electronic packages |
EP0578970A2 (en) * | 1992-06-25 | 1994-01-19 | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | Fabrication method for an integrated semi-conductor memory with a predetermined storage capacity |
EP0578970A3 (en) * | 1992-06-25 | 1995-08-30 | Siemens Ag | Fabrication method for an integrated semi-conductor memory with a predetermined storage capacity |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB2170657B (en) | 1988-01-27 |
GB8502915D0 (en) | 1985-03-06 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |