The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 30, 1998
Filed:
Dec. 09, 1996
Aplus Integrated Circuits, Inc., Saratoga, CA (US);
Abstract
The invention provides a flash memory with row redundancy. The memory includes an input terminal to receive an address and a command signal. A plurality of flash memory arrays are arranged as blocks, where each block includes a plurality of transistors organized in rows and columns and having respective wordlines, bitlines and a sourceline. A wordline decoder is coupled to the input terminal and a portion of the plurality of blocks and configured to decode a portion of the address and to receive a control signal to selectively apply a predetermined voltage to a wordline. A bitline decoder is coupled to the input terminal and to the plurality of blocks and configured to decode a portion of the address and to selectively pass a predetermined bitline to an output terminal. A match circuit is coupled to the input terminal and to a portion of the plurality of blocks and configured to decode a portion of the address and to receive the control signal to selectively apply a predetermined voltage to a wordline. A control circuit is coupled to the wordline decoder and the match circuit and configured to selectively activate one of the wordline decoder and the match circuit by the control signal. Advantages of the invention include improved row redundancy for wordline replacement and block replacement.