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:
Jul. 24, 2007
Filed:
Oct. 06, 2005
Stephan Schroeder, Munich, DE;
Arndt Gruber, Munich, DE;
Manfred Proell, Dorfen, DE;
Herbert Benzinger, Dorfen, DE;
Stephan Schroeder, Munich, DE;
Arndt Gruber, Munich, DE;
Manfred Proell, Dorfen, DE;
Herbert Benzinger, Dorfen, DE;
Infineon Technologies AG, Munich, DE;
Abstract
A semiconductor memory and a method for operating the latter in order are provided, at least in testwise fashion, to deactivate a word line segment () of a segmented word line not via a first line () otherwise used for deactivation, but rather via a second line () via that the word line segment () is otherwise activated. The second line () can optionally be biased with a second potential (Vpp) provided for activation or with a third potential (Vgnd). If the third potential (Vgnd) is used for at least temporarily deactivating the word line segment (), the word line segment can be driven via a switching element (), which couples the word line segment to the second line (), without the complementary switching element () of the driver segment () having to be used for deactivation. It can thereby be ascertained which of two switching elements () of the driver segment is defective and whether or not the semiconductor memory will function in a manner free of errors after permanent replacement of the word line on account of a floating potential of the tested word line segment ().