Method and system for reduced column redundancy using a dual column select

Claim 2

A memory device, comprising: an array of subarrays of memory cells, each subarray arranged in rows and columns of memory cells and at least one redundant column of memory cells; a row address circuit coupled to receive a row address signal for selecting a row of memory cells in a selected subarray; a column address circuit coupled to receive a first select signal and a second select signal, the column address circuit arranged for selecting a first column of memory cells at a first time from the row of memory cells in response to the first logic state of the first select signal and for selecting a second column of memory cells at the first time from the row of memory cells in response to a first logic state of the second select signal; and a column redundancy circuit for producing a second logic state of the second select signal in response to a predetermined column address, the column redundancy circuit selecting the at least one redundant column of memory cells from the row of memory cells in response to a second logic state of the second select signal, the first column of memory cells producing the first datum at the first time and the redundant column of memory cells producing a redundant datum at the first time.

Claim 3

A memory device as in claim 1, wherein the column redundancy circuit further includes: a plurality of programmable memory elements for storing the predetermined column address, each programmable memory element coupled to receive a respective address bit for selectively producing a true or complement of the address bit; and a redundant column decode circuit coupled to receive the true or complement of the address bit from each of the plurality of programmable memory elements for producing the second select signal.

Claim 4

A memory device as in claim 1, further comprising: a first and a second amplifier circuit, each amplifier having an input terminal and an output terminal, each amplifier receiving a datum at the respective input terminal and producing an amplified datum at the respective output terminal at a second time; a first select transistor having a control terminal and a current path, the current path coupled between the first column of memory cells and the first amplifier circuit, the control terminal coupled to receive the first select signal for applying the first datum to the input terminal of the first amplifier; a second select transistor having a control terminal and a current path, the current path coupled between the second column of memory cells and the second amplifier circuit, the control terminal coupled to receive the second select signal for applying the second datum to the input terminal of the second amplifier in response to the first logic state of the second select signal; and a third select transistor having a control terminal and a current path, the current path coupled between the at least one redundant column of memory cells and the second amplifier circuit, the control terminal coupled to receive the second select signal for applying the redundant datum to the input terminal of the second amplifier in response to the second logic state of the second select signal.

Claim 5

A memory device as in claim 3, further comprising: a first input/output line coupled between the first select transistor and the first amplifier circuit; and a second input/output line coupled between the second select transistor and the second amplifier circuit and coupled to the third select transistor.

Claim 6

A memory device as in claim 4, further comprising: a first group of columns of memory cells including the first column of memory cells; a first group of input/output lines inducting the first input/output line coupled to receive data at the first time from respective columns of memory cells in the first group of columns of memory cells; a first group of multiplex transistors for selectively applying a datum from the first group of columns of memory cells to the first amplifier in response to an address signal; a second group of columns of memory cells including the second column of memory cells; a second group of input/output lines including the first input/output line coupled to receive data at the first time from respective columns of memory cells in the second group of columns of memory cells; and a second group of multiplex transistors for selectively applying a datum from the second group of columns of memory cells to the second amplifier in response to the address signal.

Claim 7

A memory device as in claim 5, wherein the at least one redundant column of memory cells further comprises: a first group of redundant columns of memory cells for applying data to the first group of input/output lines in response to the first select signal; and a second group of redundant columns of memory cells for applying data to the second group of input/output lines in response to the second select signal.

Claim 8

A memory device as in claim 1, further comprising: a first and a second amplifier circuit, each amplifier having an input terminal and an output terminal, each amplifier receiving a datum at the respective input terminal and producing an amplified datum at the respective output terminal; a first select transistor having a control terminal and a current path, the current path coupled between the first column of memory cells and the first amplifier circuit, the control terminal coupled to receive the first logic state of the first select signal for applying the first datum to the input terminal of the first amplifier; a second select transistor having a control terminal and a current path, the current path coupled between the second column of memory cells and the second amplifier circuit, the control terminal coupled to receive the first logic state of the second select signal for applying the second datum to the input terminal of the second amplifier; a third select transistor having a control terminal and a current path, the current path coupled between the at least one redundant column of memory cells and the first amplifier circuit, the control terminal coupled to receive the second logic state of the first select signal for applying the redundant datum to the input terminal of the first amplifier; and a fourth select transistor having a control terminal and a current path, the current path coupled between the at least one redundant column of memory cells and the second amplifier circuit, the control terminal coupled to receive the second logic state of the second select signal for applying the redundant datum to the input terminal of the second amplifier.

Claim 9

A memory device as in claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of banks of sense amplifiers, each bank of sense amplifiers interposed between the selected subarray of memory cells and another subarray of memory cells; a first sense amplifier in a bank of sense amplifiers coupled to the first column of memory cells, the first column of memory cells in the selected subarray of memory cells; a second sense amplifier in the bank of sense amplifiers coupled to the second column of memory cells, the second column of memory cells in the selected subarray of memory cells; and a redundant sense amplifier in the bank of sense amplifiers coupled to the at least one redundant column of memory cells, the at least one redundant column of memory cells in the selected subarray of memory cells.

Claim 10

A memory device as in claim 8, further comprising: a third column of memory cells in the another subarray of memory cells, the third column of memory cells coupled to the first sense amplifier in the bank of sense amplifiers; a fourth column of memory cells in the another subarray of memory cells, the fourth column of memory cells coupled to the second sense amplifier in the bank of sense amplifiers; and another at least one redundant column of memory cells in the another subarray of memory cells, the another at least one redundant column of memory cells coupled to the redundant sense amplifier in the bank of sense amplifiers.

Claim 11

A memory device as in claim 9, further comprising: a first group of columns of memory cells including the first column of memory cells; a first group of input/output lines including the first input/output line coupled to receive data at the first time from respective columns of memory cells in the first group of columns of memory cells; a first group of multiplex transistors for selectively applying a datum from the first group of columns of memory cells to the first amplifier in response to an address signal; a second group of columns of memory cells including the second column of memory cells; a second group of input/output lines including the first input/output line coupled to receive data at the first time from respective columns of memory cells in the second group of columns of memory cells; and a second group of multiplex transistors for selectively applying a datum from the second group of columns of memory cells to the second amplifier in response to the address signal.

Claim 12

A memory device as in claim 10, wherein the at least one redundant column of memory cells of the selected subarray further comprises: a first group of redundant columns of memory cells for applying data to the first group of input/output lines in response to the first select signal; and a second group of redundant columns of memory cells for applying data to the second group of input/output lines in response to the second select signal.

Claim 13

A dynamic random access memory device, comprising: an array of subarrays of memory cells, each subarray arranged in rows and columns of memory cells and at least one redundant column of memory cells, each memory cell including an access transistor and a storage capacitor; a row address circuit coupled to receive a row address signal for selecting a row of memory cells in a selected subarray; a column address circuit coupled to receive a first select signal and a second select signal, the column address circuit arranged for selecting a first column of memory cells at a first time from the row of memory cells in response to the first logic state of the first select signal and for selecting a second column of memory cells at the first time from the row of memory cells in response to a first logic state of the second select signal; and a column redundancy circuit for producing a second logic state of the second select signal in response to a predetermined column address, the column redundancy circuit selecting the at least one redundant column of memory cells from the row of memory cells in response to a second logic state of the second select signal, the first column of memory cells producing the first datum at the first time and the redundant column of memory cells producing a redundant datum at the first time.

Claim 14

A dynamic random access memory device, comprising: an array of subarrays of memory cells, each subarray arranged in rows and columns of memory cells and at least one redundant column of memory cells, each memory cell including an access transistor and a storage capacitor; a row address circuit coupled to receive a row address signal for selecting a row of memory cells in a selected subarray; a column address circuit coupled to receive a first select signal and a second select signal, the column address circuit arranged for selecting a first column of memory cells at a first time from the row of memory cells in response to the first logic state of the first select signal and for selecting a second column of memory cells at the first time from the row of memory cells in response to a first logic state of the second select signal; and a column redundancy circuit for producing a second logic state of the second select signal in response to a predetermined column address, the column redundancy circuit selecting the at least one redundant column of memory cells from the row of memory cells in response to a second logic state of the second select signal, the first column of memory cells producing the first datum at the first time and the redundant column of memory cells producing a redundant datum at the first time.

Claim 15

A memory device as in claim 12, wherein the column redundancy circuit further includes: a plurality of programmable memory elements for storing the predetermined column address, each programmable memory element coupled to receive a respective address bit for selectively producing a true or complement of the address bit; and a redundant column decode circuit coupled to receive the true or complement of the address bit from each of the plurality of programmable memory elements for producing the second select signal.

Claim 16

A dynamic random access memory device as in claim 12, further comprising: a first and a second amplifier circuit, each amplifier having an input terminal and an output terminal, each amplifier receiving a datum at the respective input terminal and producing an amplified datum at the respective output terminal at a second time; a first select transistor having a control terminal and a current path, the current path coupled between the first column of memory cells and the first amplifier circuit, the control terminal coupled to receive the first select signal for applying the first datum to the input terminal of the first amplifier; a second select transistor having a control terminal and a current path, the current path coupled between the second column of memory cells and the second amplifier circuit, the control terminal coupled to receive the second select signal for applying the second datum to the input terminal of the second amplifier in response to the first logic state of the second column address signal; and a third select transistor having a control terminal and a current path, the current path coupled between the at least one redundant column of memory cells and the second amplifier circuit, the control terminal coupled to receive the second select signal for applying the redundant datum to the input terminal of the second amplifier in response to the second logic state of the second select signal.

Claim 17

A dynamic random access memory device as in claim 14, further comprising: a first input/output line coupled between the first select transistor and the first amplifier circuit; and a second input/output line coupled between the second select transistor and the second amplifier circuit and coupled to the third select transistor.

Claim 18

A dynamic random access memory device as in claim 15, further comprising: a first group of columns of memory cells including the first column of memory cells; a first group of input/output lines including the first input/output line coupled to receive data at the first time from respective columns of memory cells in the first group of columns of memory cells; a first group of multiplex transistors for selectively applying a datum from the first group of columns of memory cells to the first amplifier in response to an address signal; a second group of columns of memory cells including the second column of memory cells; a second group of input/output lines including the first input/output line coupled to receive data at the first time from respective columns of memory cells in the second group of columns of memory cells; and a second group of multiplex transistors for selectively applying a datum from the second group of columns of memory cells to the second amplifier in response to the address signal.

Claim 19

A dynamic random access memory device as in claim 16, wherein the at least one redundant column of memory cells further comprises: a first group of redundant columns of memory cells for applying data to the first group of input/output lines in response to the first select signal; and a second group of redundant columns of memory cells for applying data to the second group of input/output lines in response to the second select signal.

Claim 20

A dynamic random access memory device as in claim 12, further comprising: a first and a second amplifier circuit, each amplifier having an input terminal and an output terminal, each amplifier receiving a datum at the respective input terminal and producing an amplified datum at the respective output terminal; a first select transistor having a control terminal and a current path, the current path coupled between the first column of memory cells and the first amplifier circuit, the control terminal coupled to receive the first logic state of the first select signal for applying the first datum to the input terminal of the first amplifier; a second select transistor having a control terminal and a current path, the current path coupled between the second column of memory cells and the second amplifier circuit, the control terminal coupled to receive the first logic state of the second select signal for applying the second datum to the input terminal of the second amplifier; a third select transistor having a control terminal and a current path, the current path coupled between the at least one redundant column of memory cells and the first amplifier circuit, the control terminal coupled to receive the second logic state of the first select signal for applying the redundant datum to the input terminal of the first amplifier; and a fourth select transistor having a control terminal and a current path, the current path coupled between the at least one redundant column of memory cells and the second amplifier circuit, the control terminal coupled to receive the second logic state of the second select signal for applying the redundant datum to the input terminal of the second amplifier.

Claim 21

A dynamic random access memory device as in claim 12, further comprising: a plurality of banks of sense amplifiers, each bank of sense amplifiers interposed between the selected subarray of memory cells and another subarray of memory cells; a first sense amplifier in a bank of sense amplifiers coupled to the first column of memory cells, the first column of memory cells in the selected subarray of memory cells; a second sense amplifier in the bank of sense amplifiers coupled to the second column of memory cells, the second column of memory cells in the selected subarray of memory cells; and a redundant sense amplifier in the bank of sense amplifiers coupled to the at least one redundant column of memory cells, the at least one redundant column of memory cells in the selected subarray of memory cells.

Claim 22

A dynamic random access memory device as in claim 19, further comprising: a third column of memory cells in the another subarray of memory cells, the third column of memory cells coupled to the first sense amplifier in the bank of sense amplifiers; a fourth column of memory cells in the another subarray of memory cells, the fourth column of memory cells coupled to the second sense amplifier in the bank of sense amplifiers; and another at least one redundant column of memory cells in the another subarray of memory cells, the another at least one redundant column of memory cells coupled to the redundant sense amplifier in the bank of sense amplifiers.

Claim 23

A dynamic random access memory device as in claim 20, further comprising: a first group of columns of memory cells including the first column of memory cells; a first group of input/output lines including the first input/output line coupled to receive data at the first time from respective columns of memory cells in the first group of columns of memory cells; a first group of multiplex transistors for selectively applying a datum from the first group of columns of memory cells to the first amplifier in response to an address signal; a second group of columns of memory cells including the second column of memory cells; a second group of input/output lines including the first input/output line coupled to receive data at the first time from respective columns of memory cells in the second group of columns of memory cells; and a second group of multiplex transistors for selectively applying a datum from the second group of columns of memory cells to the second amplifier in response to the address signal.

Claim 24

A dynamic random access memory device as in claim 21, wherein the at least one redundant column of memory cells of the selected subarray further comprises: a first group of redundant columns of memory cells for applying data to the first group of input/output lines in response to the first select signal; and a second group of redundant columns of memory cells for applying data to the second group of input/output lines in response to the second select signal.

Claim 25

A dynamic random access memory device as in claim 22, further comprising: a first column select line overlying the selected subarray of memory cells and the another subarray of memory cells, the first column select line receiving a first column select signal for coupling the first group of columns of memory cells to the first group of input/output lines; a second column select line overlying the selected subarray of memory cells and the another subarray of memory cells, the second column select line receiving a second column select signal for coupling the second group of columns of memory cells to the second group of input/output lines; and a redundant column select line overlying the selected subarray of memory cells and the another subarray of memory cells, the redundant column select line receiving a redundant column select signal for coupling the redundant group of columns of memory cells to one of the first or second groups of input/output lines, the redundant group of columns having a number of columns equal to the number of columns of memory cells in each of the first and second groups of columns of memory cells.

Claim 28

A method as in claim 24, further including the steps of: selectively producing a plurality of true or complementary address bits in response to a predetermined address; inhibiting production of a column select signal corresponding to the plurality of true or complementary address bits; and producing the second select signal in response to the plurality of true or complementary address bits.

Claim 29

A method as in claim 24, further including the step of activating a plurality of sense amplifiers, each corresponding to a respective column of memory cells, thereby activating the plurality of groups of columns.

Claim 30

A method as in claim 24, further including the step of applying a datum from the selected group of columns and the at least one redundant group of columns to a plurality of respective middle amplifiers.

Claim 31

A method as in claim 27, further including the step of activating the middle amplifiers at a second time for amplifying each respective datum on a data bus.

Claim 32

A method as in claim 24, wherein the step of producing a redundant column select signal at the first time includes producing two redundant column select signals at the first time for connecting two respective redundant groups of columns to two groups of input/output lines corresponding to two defective groups of columns.

Claim 33

A method as in claim 29, further including the step of inhibiting production of column select signals corresponding to two defective group of columns.