Improving memory ECC via defective memory columns

Due to the emergence of extremely high density memory and growing number of embedded memories, the memory yield became an important issue. In this paper, we proposed methods to exploit replaced defective columns to improve memory ECC. To utilize replaced defective columns, the defect information needs to be stored. In order to store defect information, the proposed method requires a spare column. Experimental results show that the proposed method can significantly improve the memory ECC.