Abstract: In replacing word lines having defective addresses with redundant word lines, information is held in a relationship between the word lines and the redundant word lines. In other words, information is held in a replacement rule. With this arrangement, information such as a lot number, a wafer number within the lot, and a position of a chip within the wafer can be held in the chip, without increasing the chip area at all and without using a large database.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a lower electrode, an upper electrode, and a fuse element that connects the lower electrode and the upper electrode. Between the lower electrode and the upper electrode, insulating films stacked in this order exist. Out of the insulating films, the insulating film located in the middle has absorptivity of light larger than those of the other insulating films. Thus, in the present invention, a fuse element that is vertically long and penetrates an insulating film of which the absorptivity of light is large in the central portion is used, so that it is possible to effectively absorb energy of a laser beam. Further, it is possible to cut the fuse element using an optical system having a small depth of focus, so that it is possible to cut the fuse element without destructing a passivation layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a lower electrode, an upper electrode, and a fuse element that connects the lower electrode and the upper electrode. The height of the fuse element is greater than the depth of focus of a laser beam to be irradiated. The diameter of the fuse element is smaller than the diffraction limit of the laser beam. Thus, in the present invention, a vertically long fuse element is used, so that it is possible to efficiently absorb the energy of the laser beam. It is possible to cut the fuse element by using an optical system having a small depth of focus, so that the damage imposed on a member located above or below the fuse element is very small. As a result, the fuse element can be without destructing the passivation film.

Abstract: In replacing word lines having defective addresses with redundant word lines, information is held in a relationship between the word lines and the redundant word lines. In other words, information is held in a replacement rule. With this arrangement, information such as a lot number, a wafer number within the lot, and a position of a chip within the wafer can be held in the chip, without increasing the chip area at all and without using a large database.

Abstract: In a semiconductor memory device provided with a redundancy circuit for conducting a repair of defective memory cells, the memory cell defects which are unevenly distributed can be efficiently repaired. The semiconductor memory device has a plurality of memory blocks, and the memory block includes a plurality of segments. A redundancy memory block which substitutes for defective data of a segment is physically provided to each of the plurality of memory blocks. A block address of the redundancy memory block is logically allocated to the plurality of memory blocks in common.

Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing system is provided in which chip position information is read without removing resin from a package so that the cause of a failure can be quickly identified and removed and the yield of chips can be rapidly improved. A replacement address reading device reads redundancy addresses from a semiconductor device which is determined as faulty in a test performed after the semiconductor device has been sealed into a package. A chip position analyzing device estimates, from the combination of these redundancy addresses, a lot number, a wafer number and a chip number of the faulty semiconductor device. A failure distribution mapping device maps the distribution of faulty chips in each wafer in the lot based on these numbers thus obtained. A failure cause determining device identifies which manufacturing device or processing step has caused the failures in the wafer process based on the above distribution.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory production system is provided, capable of holding the data necessary for process analysis for each lot in chronological order using a small amount of information, and which enables production management based on data that has been stored previously without performing new measurements. The semiconductor memory production system comprises: an LSI tester 1 that tests semiconductor memory and outputs the addresses of memory cells for each chip and a pass/fail bitmap corresponding to these addresses, and a process defect estimating device 34 that extracts the bit addresses of fail bits from the bitmap, and determines replacement addresses of word lines and bit lines to be replaced by redundant word lines and redundant bit lines in the redundant memory section, and estimates process defects from statistical analysis of the distribution condition of each chip on each wafer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing system is provided in which chip position information is read without removing resin from a package so that the cause of a failure can be quickly identified and removed and the yield of chips can be rapidly improved. A replacement address reading device reads redundancy addresses from a semiconductor device which is determined as faulty in a test performed after the semiconductor device has been sealed into a package. A chip position analyzing device estimates, from the combination of these redundancy addresses, a lot number, a wafer number and a chip number of the faulty semiconductor device. A failure distribution mapping device maps the distribution of faulty chips in each wafer in the lot based on these numbers thus obtained. A failure cause determining device identifies which manufacturing device or processing step has caused the failures in the wafer process based on the above distribution.

Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing system is provided in which chip position information is read without removing resin from a package so that the cause of a failure can be quickly identified and removed and the yield of chips can be rapidly improved. A replacement address reading device reads redundancy addresses from a semiconductor device which is determined as faulty in a test performed after the semiconductor device has been sealed into a package. A chip position analyzing device estimates, from the combination of these redundancy addresses, a lot number, a wafer number and a chip number of the faulty semiconductor device. A failure distribution mapping device maps the distribution of faulty chips in each wafer in the lot based on these numbers thus obtained. A failure cause determining device identifies which manufacturing device or processing step has caused the failures in the wafer process based on the above distribution.

Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing system is provided in which chip position information is read without removing resin from a package so that the cause of a failure can be quickly identified and removed and the yield of chips can be rapidly improved. A replacement address reading device reads redundancy addresses from a semiconductor device which is determined as faulty in a test performed after the semiconductor device has been sealed into a package. A chip position analyzing device estimates, from the combination of these redundancy addresses, a lot number, a wafer number and a chip number of the faulty semiconductor device. A failure distribution mapping device maps the distribution of faulty chips in each wafer in the lot based on these numbers thus obtained. A failure cause determining device identifies which manufacturing device or processing step has caused the failures in the wafer process based on the above distribution.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory production system is provided, capable of holding the data necessary for process analysis for each lot in chronological order using a small amount of information, and which enables production management based on data that has been stored previously without performing new measurements. The semiconductor memory production system comprises: an LSI tester 1 that tests semiconductor memory and outputs the addresses of memory cells for each chip and a pass/fail bitmap corresponding to these addresses, and a process defect estimating device 34 that extracts the bit addresses of fail bits from the bitmap, and determines replacement addresses of word lines and bit lines to be replaced by redundant word lines and redundant bit lines in the redundant memory section, and estimates process defects from statistical analysis of the distribution condition of each chip on each wafer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing system is provided in which chip position information is read without removing resin from a package so that the cause of a failure can be quickly identified and removed and the yield of chips can be rapidly improved. A replacement address reading device reads redundancy addresses from a semiconductor device which is determined as faulty in a test performed after the semiconductor device has been sealed into a package. A chip position analyzing device estimates, from the combination of these redundancy addresses, a lot number, a wafer number and a chip number of the faulty semiconductor device. A failure distribution mapping device maps the distribution of faulty chips in each wafer in the lot based on these numbers thus obtained. A failure cause determining device identifies which manufacturing device or processing step has caused the failures in the wafer process based on the above distribution.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory test circuit comprises a current mirror circuit including a reference side current path composed of a series connection of alternating p channel transistors and n channel transistors and an output side current path composed of a series connection of alternating p channel transistors and n channel transistors, an output signal for electrode of paired memory cells and a balance potential output signal for sense amplifier, required for a semiconductor memory test, being derived from the output side current path. The current mirror circuit includes a first output side current path and a second output side current path, the balance output for sense amplifier is derived from an output of the first output side current path and the output signal for electrode of paired memory cells is derived from an output of the second output side current path.

Abstract: In a semiconductor memory device including a plurality of memory cell clocks each having a mormal memory cell array and first and second redundancy memory cell rows, one first redundancy row selecting circuit is provided for each of the memory cell blocks to access the first redundancy memory cell row upon receipt of a respective memory cell block selection signal, and one second redundancy row selecting circuit is provided for at least two of the memory cell blocks to access the second redundancy memory cell row upon receipt of a respective memory cell block selection signal.

Abstract: A shared sense amplifier circuit incorporated in a dynamic random access memory device is coupled at input/output nodes with dummy cells implemented by n-channel enhancement type field effect transistors for pulling one of the input/output nodes down upon access to one of the memory cells, and one of the enhancement type dummy cells rapidly turns off so that undershoot takes place at the associated input/output node due to channel resistance between the shared sense amplifier circuit and a bit line pair, thereby enlarging differential voltage applied between the input/output nodes of the shared sense amplifier circuit.

Abstract: A shared sense amplifier circuit incorporated in a dynamic random access memory device is coupled at input/output nodes with dummy cells implemented by n-channel enhancement type field effect transistors for pulling one of the input/output nodes down upon access to one of the memory cells, and one of the enhancement type dummy cells rapidly turns off so that undershoot takes place at the associated input/output node due to channel resistance between the shared sense amplifier circuit and a bit line pair, thereby enlarging differential voltage applied between the input/output nodes of the shared sense amplifier circuit.

Abstract: A flexible joint has a bellows, a first support cover connected with one end of the bellows, a second support cover connected with another end of the bellows, a pin fixed to the first support cover, a cap fixed to the second support cover, and a buffer member constructed of wire mesh and disposed between the first support cover in combination with the pin and the second support cover in combination with the cap. The buffer member includes two portions different in modulus of elasticity. Due to the structure, gap generation between the first support cover combined with the pin and the second support cover combined with the cap is prevented.