Patent ID: 7277336
Filing Date: 2007-10-02
Classification: G11C

Abstract:
1. A method for writing to memory, the method comprising: (a) reading a set of memory cells in an area of memory that stores redundancy information for a group of memory cells in a primary memory, the set of memory cells indicating whether the area of memory is able to reliably store redundancy information, if the set of memory cells indicates that the area of memory is able to reliably store redundancy information, performing the following: (b) reading the redundancy information, the redundancy information indicating whether the group of memory cells in the primary memory is able to reliably store data; (c) if the redundancy information indicates that the group of memory cells in the primary memory is able to reliably store data, storing data in the group of memory cells in the primary memory; and (d) if the redundancy information does not indicate that the group of memory cells in the primary memory is able to reliably store data, storing data in a redundant memory wherein the redundancy information comprises a first field for storing an indication of whether the redundant memory was written to, a second field for storing an indication of whether a write operation to the redundant memory was successful, and a third field for storing an address in the redundant memory.