Semiconductor memory device having faulty cells

摘要

A nonvolatile memory apparatus includes a control unit, a main storage medium with an electrically reloadable nonvolatile memory adapted to be operable even when faulty memory cells exist therein, and a storage region storing registered address values of faulty regions of the main storage medium containing the faulty memory cells. Data which is stored in the electrically reloadable nonvolatile memory is divided into blocks, each block having a plurality of data to be administrated and which is assigned an access address by the control unit. An administrative information region is provided in each block. The control unit carries out access requests of the main storage medium and the administration of faulty regions and the number of occurrences of reloading of respective memory cells of the main storage medium.

主权项

1. A nonvolatile memory apparatus comprising:
a control unit; a main storage medium of the apparatus including an electrically reloadable nonvolatile memory, wherein the electrically reloadable nonvolatile memory is adapted to be operable even when faulty memory cells exist therein; and a storage region storing registered address values of faulty regions of the main storage medium containing therein the faulty memory cells, wherein data which is stored in the electrically reloadable nonvolatile memory is divided into blocks, each block having a plurality of data to be administrated and which is assigned an access address by the control unit, an administrative information region being provided in each block, and wherein the control unit is adapted to carry out access requests of the main storage medium and the administration of faulty regions and the number of occurrences of reloading of respective memory cells of the main storage medium.