Method of arranging fuses in a fuse box of a semiconductor memory device and a semiconductor memory device including such an arrangement

Abstract

A semiconductor memory device may include a memory cell array and at least one fuse box. The memory cell array may include a plurality of sub-array blocks, and a fuse box may include a plurality of fuse groups, each group corresponding to a sub-array block. Each fuse group may have a plurality of fuses, wherein the fuses are intermittently arranged such that fuses of the same fuse group are not adjacent to each other. Each fuse group may further include a master fuse and a fuse mode determining circuit for determining a fuse-on-mode or a fuse-off-mode for the repair operation of a sub-array block. Consequently, during a repair operation using a conventional laser having a relatively large beam spot, the designated fuse of one fuse group as well as adjacent fuses of a different group may be cut without hindering the repair operation of the sub-array block. Accordingly, increasing the pitch size of the fuses to accommodate the relatively large beam spot of a conventional laser may not be necessary, thus allowing a reduction in the size of the fuse box (and the overall semiconductor memory device). Additionally, the above fuse arrangement may reduce costs by permitting the use of conventional laser equipment instead of more expensive laser equipment having a relatively small beam spot.