US20050073023A1 - Electronically programmable antifuse and circuits made therewith - Google Patents
Electronically programmable antifuse and circuits made therewith Download PDFInfo
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- US20050073023A1 US20050073023A1 US10/605,523 US60552303A US2005073023A1 US 20050073023 A1 US20050073023 A1 US 20050073023A1 US 60552303 A US60552303 A US 60552303A US 2005073023 A1 US2005073023 A1 US 2005073023A1
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L23/00—Details of semiconductor or other solid state devices
- H01L23/58—Structural electrical arrangements for semiconductor devices not otherwise provided for, e.g. in combination with batteries
- H01L23/62—Protection against overvoltage, e.g. fuses, shunts
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L23/00—Details of semiconductor or other solid state devices
- H01L23/52—Arrangements for conducting electric current within the device in operation from one component to another, i.e. interconnections, e.g. wires, lead frames
- H01L23/522—Arrangements for conducting electric current within the device in operation from one component to another, i.e. interconnections, e.g. wires, lead frames including external interconnections consisting of a multilayer structure of conductive and insulating layers inseparably formed on the semiconductor body
- H01L23/525—Arrangements for conducting electric current within the device in operation from one component to another, i.e. interconnections, e.g. wires, lead frames including external interconnections consisting of a multilayer structure of conductive and insulating layers inseparably formed on the semiconductor body with adaptable interconnections
- H01L23/5252—Arrangements for conducting electric current within the device in operation from one component to another, i.e. interconnections, e.g. wires, lead frames including external interconnections consisting of a multilayer structure of conductive and insulating layers inseparably formed on the semiconductor body with adaptable interconnections comprising anti-fuses, i.e. connections having their state changed from non-conductive to conductive
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L2924/00—Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
- H01L2924/0001—Technical content checked by a classifier
- H01L2924/0002—Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L2924/00—Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
- H01L2924/30—Technical effects
- H01L2924/301—Electrical effects
- H01L2924/3011—Impedance
Definitions
- the present invention generally relates to the field of integrated circuits.
- the present invention is directed to a programmable electronic antifuse and circuits made therewith.
- Programmable fuses and antifuses are devices useful in a variety of integrated circuits (ICs). Programmable fuses and antifuses allow IC designers to “personalize,” or custom configure, various circuits to provide the respective circuits with desired functionality and/or reconfigure the circuits to bypass one or more defective elements or utilize redundant elements or circuits to replace defective elements or circuits.
- a programmable fuse is a device that is closed in its unprogrammed state and open when programmed.
- a programmable fuse comprises a fusible conductive link that is broken during programming so that the conductive link no longer closes the circuit.
- Programmable fuses are generally of either a laser programmable type or an electronically programmable type. In both types, the fusible conductive link is broken by heating the link sufficiently so as to cause the link to melt.
- a laser provides the energy that melts the conductive link.
- the electronically programmable type a relatively large current is passed through the conductive link such that the resistive heating of the link causes the link to melt.
- Laser programmable fuses are not suitable in many ICs due to the fact that it is often desirable to program the fuses after the IC has been encapsulated and packaged. This is so because laser programmable fuses must be exposed so that a laser beam can be shone upon them in order to melt them.
- a programmable antifuse is a device that is open in its unprogrammed state and closed when programmed.
- an antifuse comprises two conductive regions separated by an insulating region that electrically insulates the two conductive regions from one another. In its unprogrammed state, the antifuse generally acts as a capacitor, with no current passing from one conductive region to the other. When programmed, however, the insulating ability of the insulating region is at least partially destroyed, allowing current to flow between the two conductive regions.
- programming an antifuse results in the formation of a conductive filament that extends within the insulating region between the two conductive regions.
- programmable antifuse devices have been proposed and used in various ICs. Generally, all of these types are electronically programmable, i.e., programmable by charging the conductive regions of the antifuses with a voltage high enough to cause the insulating region between these regions to break down sufficiently to cause it to become at least partially conductive.
- One type of programmable antifuse is a metal-oxide-metal antifuse. This type of antifuse structure is not desirable in CMOS-based ICs because of the non-standard processing techniques needed to fabricate the metal conductive portions of the antifuse.
- Another type of conventional programmable antifuse is a polysilicon antifuse having its insulating region made of polysilicon.
- existing polysilicon antifuses include fusible links that typically require 10 mA to 15 mA of programming current at a voltage higher than needed during normal operation of the IC containing the antifuses. Consequently, the wiring that carries the programming current for such polysilicon antifuses needs to be robust. This increases the area needed for the antifuses and associated wiring.
- existing cobalt silicide polysilicon antifuses undergo only a relatively small change in resistance from its unprogrammed state to its programmed state. Therefore, the sensing circuits needed to sense such small resistance changes must be very robust and complex. Such sensing circuits require many elements, and their resistive trip points may need to be adjusted frequently to manage large tails in resistive distributions.
- antifuse designers have utilized current oxide technology in an attempt to improve the density of antifuse devices within ICs and to reduce programming current by at least two orders of magnitude over present polysilicon antifuse technology.
- an additional benefit of achieving such low programming currents e.g., in the microamp regime, is the ability to program hundreds or more antifuses at once, thereby reducing the time needed to program all of the antifuses.
- Recent efforts utilizing trench or thin-oxide field-effect transistor (FET) structures have had very good results in terms of programming current.
- Such antifuses have required as little as 1 ⁇ A. However, the resistances of these antifuses in their programmed state are typically in the mega-ohm regime.
- a fundamental problem with antifuses having conducting regions made with semiconductor materials e.g., when the antifuses are made from CMOS FET structures, is that the conductive filament resulting from programming has a highly non-linear resistance.
- This characteristic of such antifuses is due to the migration of dopant atoms from the gate and channel of the FET into the gate oxide insulating layer between the gate and channel. Consequently, the resistance is low at high voltages, but very high at the low voltages at which the antifuse will operate once programmed.
- the result of the very high resistances of the programmed state is that the complex sensing circuits mentioned above must be used to sense the programmed state of the antifuse.
- sensing circuits exist and are effective in discriminating small differences between unprogrammed and programmed resistances, they typically are relatively large circuits having a dynamic design sensitive to noise, voltage variations and process variations. These large sensing circuits result in lower antifuse density and increased circuit complexity.
- the present invention is directed to an antifuse device operable at a voltage thereacross.
- the antifuse device comprises a first element having a first conductive region, a second conductive region and a tunneling region located between the first and second conductive regions.
- the tunneling region is operatively configured so that a tunneling current is present between the first and second conductive regions of the first element when the voltage is applied across the antifuse device.
- a second element having a first conductive region, a second conductive region and a tunneling region is located between the first and second conductive regions.
- the tunneling region is operatively configured so that a tunneling current is present between the first and second conductive regions of the second element when the voltage is applied across the antifuse device.
- An output node electrically coupled between the first element and the second element.
- the present invention is directed to an integrated circuit chip that comprises functional circuitry and at least one antifuse device operatively connected to the functional circuitry.
- the at least one antifuse device comprises a first element having a first conductive region, a second conductive region and a tunneling region located between the first and second conductive regions.
- the tunneling region is operatively configured so that a tunneling current is present between the first and second conductive regions of the first element when the voltage is applied across the antifuse device.
- a second element having a first conductive region, a second conductive region and a tunneling region located between the first and second conductive regions.
- the tunneling region is operatively configured so that a tunneling current is present between the first and second conductive regions of the second element when the voltage is applied across the antifuse device.
- An output node is electrically coupled between the first element and the second element.
- a programming circuit is in electrical communication with the second element and operatively configured to cause the tunneling region of the second element to become conductive when the programming circuit is energized.
- FIG. 1 is a high-level schematic diagram of an integrated circuit chip of the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an antifuse device according to the present invention.
- FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a pFET suitable for use in the antifuse device of FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 4 is a plan view of a multi-fingered antifuse element suitable for use in the antifuse device of FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view as taken along line 5 - 5 of FIG. 4 ;
- FIG. 6 is a plan view of the antifuse device of FIG. 1 implemented with FETs made using CMOS processing techniques;
- FIG. 7A is graph of (1) the voltage at node F of an exemplary pFET antifuse device for several ratios of the area of the biasing pFET to the area of the antifuse pFET when the antifuse pFET is unprogrammed and (2) the voltage at node F for the same ratios as a function of programmed antifuse resistance;
- FIG. 7B is a graph of the unprogrammed and programmed voltage at node F for different voltages applied across the pFET antifuse device;
- FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an antifuse/sensing circuit of the present invention.
- FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of an antifuse/sensing/programming circuit of the present invention.
- FIG. 1 shows in accordance with the present invention an integrated circuit (IC) chip, which is generally denoted by the numeral 100 .
- Chip 100 may be any type of IC chip, such as an application-specific IC (ASIC) chip, memory chip, microprocessor chip or system-on-chip, among others.
- ASIC application-specific IC
- Chip 100 may provide any one or more functions needed to suit a particular design.
- chip 100 may include various regions 104 containing, e.g., memory, I/O, communication and/or logic circuitry, among others.
- regions 104 containing, e.g., memory, I/O, communication and/or logic circuitry, among others.
- Chip 100 may include at least one antifuse region 108 containing one or more electronically programmable antifuse devices 112 and/or sensing circuits 116 for sensing the programming state of each antifuse device.
- each antifuse device 112 has a programmed state and an unprogrammed state useful for tasks such as personalizing, or custom configuring, various circuits (not shown) within regions 104 aboard chip 100 so as to provide the respective circuits with desired functionality and/or reconfigure the circuits to bypass one or more defective elements or utilize redundant elements or circuits to replace defective elements or segments.
- a more detailed explanation of the use of antifuse devices 112 and sensing circuits 116 is not necessary herein, since the use of antifuses is well established and practiced in the art.
- FIG. 2 illustrates an antifuse device 120 of the present invention that may be used for each antifuse device 112 of chip 100 of FIG. 1 .
- Antifuse device 112 may be referred to as a “two element” device due to it containing two primary elements, a tunneling bias element 124 and a tunneling antifuse element 128 electrically connected to one another in series.
- each of bias element 124 and antifuse element 128 may comprise a first conductive region 132 B , 132 A and a second conductive region 136 B , 136 A , respectively, separated from one another by a tunneling region 140 B , 140 A .
- Each tunneling region 140 B , 140 A comprises a dielectric material having an electrical and/or physical thickness that allows a tunneling current to flow between the respective first and second conductive regions 132 B , 136 B and 132 A , 136 A without measurable breakdown of the dielectric material when a certain voltage is applied across element 124 , 128 .
- Classical tunneling current is a well-established phenomenon utilized in conventional circuit elements, such as the so-called “tunneling diode,” among others. Therefore, a detailed explanation of classical tunneling current and the physics behind tunneling current are not necessary for those skilled in the art to practice the present invention to its broad scope.
- tunneling current shall include not only classic tunneling current, but also leakage current that can be present across certain dielectric materials, even without classical tunneling current being present.
- This definition of “tunneling current” recognizes the fact that a current having a magnitude on the order of a tunneling current can be achieved without tunneling, e.g., by using a “leaky” dielectric layer comprising either an inherently leaky dielectric material, e.g., tantalum oxide, or an inherently non-leaky material provided with impurities that render the layer leaky.
- leakage current that flows through an element will be about two orders, more or less, of magnitude smaller that the current that flows through that element when the element is “conductive,” as this term is defined below.
- the terms “tunneling bias element,” “tunneling antifuse element,” “tunneling region” and similar terms shall encompass elements having either tunneling current or leakage current, or both, thereacross.
- the term “essentially nonconductive” is used herein and in the appended claims relative to an element, such as bias and antifuse elements 124 , 128 , to indicate that the element conducts a tunneling and/or leakage current across a dielectric layer that does not otherwise permit current to flow.
- conductive indicates that the dielectric layer has been changed, e.g., by the formation of a conductive filament, to an extent that current flows through the element primarily by a mode other than tunneling and/or leakage.
- bias and tunneling elements 124 , 128 may be implemented using any suitable device, such as a parallel plate capacitor or a field-effect transistor (FET), among others. If bias and/or antifuse elements 124 , 128 are implemented as FETs, as discussed below, they may be implemented as either nFET or pFET devices and may be utilized in either inversion or accumulation mode as needed to suit a particular design. However, it is noted that while the structures of bias and tunneling elements 124 , 128 may take a variety of forms, much of the description below is directed to the elements being pFET devices. Generally, this is so due to these devices being most prevalent and readily fabricated using conventional CMOS processing techniques that are widely used in the IC manufacturing industry today. That said, those skilled in the art will understand how to implement bias and antifuse elements 124 , 128 with any suitable non-pFET devices.
- FET field-effect transistor
- Conductive regions 132 B , 136 B , 132 A , 136 A may be made of any suitable conductive material, such as a metallic material or a semiconductor material.
- tunneling regions 140 B , 140 A will comprise a dielectric layer comprising, e.g., silicon dioxide, silicon nitride or other dielectric material.
- Antifuse device 120 further includes an output node F located between bias element 124 and antifuse element 128 .
- Biasing element 124 may be connected to a power rail 144 (or ground rail in certain embodiments, such an nFET dual of antifuse device) and antifuse element 128 may be connected to a power rail 148 .
- bias element 124 and antifuse element 128 are each designed to pass tunneling currents when connected between rails 144 , 148 as shown, these elements may be considered resistive elements having finite, albeit relatively large, resistances. Accordingly, as discussed below, antifuse device 120 has characteristics similar to that of a simple voltage divider, wherein the output voltage FOUT appearing at node F can be controlled by adjusting the relative resistances of bias element 124 and antifuse element 128 .
- bias element 124 and unprogrammed antifuse element 128 may be adjusted by adjusting the amount of tunneling current permitted to pass through the bias element and the antifuse element in its unprogrammed state.
- each of bias element 124 and antifuse element 128 may be made using a conventional FET structure 152 as shown in FIG. 3 .
- FET structure 152 may include a source 156 , drain 160 , channel 164 , gate 168 and gate oxide layer 172 made using conventional processing techniques, such as CMOS processing techniques.
- variables that affect the tunneling current through oxide layer 172 include the physical thickness of the oxide layer and the physical area of gate 168 in contact with the oxide layer, since, for a given dielectric material for the oxide layer, tunneling current increases (and resistance decreases) with decreasing physical thickness of the oxide layer and increasing area of the gate.
- tunneling current may also be increased (and resistance decreased) when a tunneling implant region 176 is provided adjacent oxide layer 172 .
- Tunneling implant region 176 may be implanted with certain dopants that promote tunneling. For example, when FET structure 152 is of the p-type, implant region 176 may be implanted with a high dose of phosphorous atoms. When FET structure 152 is of the n-type, implant region 176 may be implanted with a high dose of boron atoms. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other dopants may be used.
- tunneling region 140 B , 140 A will typically be very thin.
- tunneling region 140 B , 140 A is made of silicon dioxide, a dielectric commonly used for gate oxide layer 172 when made using conventional CMOS processing, the thickness of the gate oxide layer will be about 17 ⁇ or less. It has been observed that the tunneling current for one example of antifuse element 128 is about 2.28 nA/( ⁇ m 2 of oxide layer area) at 1 V when gate oxide layer 172 is a 17 ⁇ thick silicon dioxide layer.
- gate 168 may be made any size needed to suit a particular design.
- a gate 168 ′ may include multiple segments 180 , such as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , so as to increase the gate area.
- gate 168 ′ comprises five segments 180 , three of which extend over the junction of FET structure 152 ′.
- FIG. 6 shows an exemplary antifuse device structure 188 corresponding to antifuse device 120 of FIG. 2 wherein each of bias and antifuse elements 124 , 128 are implemented as pFETs 192 , 196 , respectively.
- each of bias and antifuse elements 124 , 128 are implemented as pFETs 192 , 196 , respectively.
- the voltage seen at node F (FOUT) is a relatively large fraction of the voltage across antifuse device 120 , e.g., Vdd, when the antifuse pFET is unprogrammed.
- FIG. 1 shows an exemplary antifuse device structure 188 corresponding to antifuse device 120 of FIG. 2 wherein each of bias and antifuse elements 124 , 128 are implemented as pFETs 192 , 196 , respectively.
- the voltage seen at node F (FOUT) is a relatively large fraction of the voltage across antifuse device 120 , e.g., Vdd, when the anti
- FIG. 7A is a graph 198 illustrating the voltages seen at node F (FOUT), as expressed by lines, 200 A, 200 B, 200 C, 200 D for various ratios of the gate area of bias pFET 192 to the gate area of antifuse pFET 196 when the antifuse pFET is unprogrammed and the voltage across antifuse device is 1 volt.
- the voltages seen in antifuse device 120 at node F (FOUT) are about 635 mV, 730 mV, 825 mV and 905 mV, respectively.
- lines 200 A, 200 B, 200 C, 200 D are linear because the unprogrammed resistance of antifuse pFET 196 is essentially constant.
- the ratio of tunneling currents (resistances) of bias and antifuse pFETs 192 , 196 was adjusted by changing the gate area of the bias pFET, the ratio could alternatively, or additionally, be adjusted by changing other parameters, such as the relative thicknesses of the oxide layers and the amount of tunneling current enhancing doping.
- the antifuse element may now be programmed to provide the antifuse element with a much lower resistance, if desired.
- Programming antifuse element 128 involves applying a programming voltage across the antifuse element of a magnitude sufficient to cause a dielectric breakdown within tunneling region 140 A .
- the dielectric breakdown in tunneling region 140 A will cause a conductive filament (not shown) to form between conductive regions 132 A , 136 A , allowing a certain amount of current to flow through antifuse element 128 that is relatively large compared to the tunneling current.
- the resistance of antifuse element 128 when programmed can be varied by changing the programming voltage. Higher programming voltages generally result in increased dielectric breakdown, which allows more current to flow conductively across tunneling region 140 A , thereby decreasing the effective resistance of antifuse element 128 .
- Programming currents for antifuse element 128 of the present invention are generally on the order of 100 ⁇ A or less, which does not require overly large and robust programming wiring. In addition, such low programming currents allow many, e.g., tens, hundreds or more, antifuse devices to be programmed simultaneously with one another.
- voltage FOUT appearing at node F at a certain voltage applied across antifuse device 120 will be much less than the voltage FOUT that appears at node F at the same applied voltage when the antifuse element is unprogrammed.
- FIG. 7A for exemplary pFET antifuse structure 188 of FIG. 6 . As seen in FIG.
- the voltages FOUT seen in antifuse device 188 at node F as represented by lines 204 A, 204 B, 204 C, 204 D, respectively, vary non-linearly as a function of the programmed resistance.
- the voltages FOUT seen at node F when the programmed resistance of antifuse pFET 196 is relatively low, e.g., 1 M ⁇ , are less sensitive to the ratio of the gate areas than the voltages FOUT at node F when the programmed resistance of the antifuse pFET is relatively high, e.g., 10 M ⁇ .
- the difference in voltage FOUT at node F from a ratio of 1:1 (line 204 D) to a ratio of 8:1 (line 204 A) is only about 100 mV (about 20 mV to about 120 mV, respectively), whereas the difference in voltage FOUT at node F from a ratio of 1:1 to a ratio of 8:1 at a programmed resistance of 10 M ⁇ is about 310 mV (about 150 mV to about 460 mV, respectively).
- FIG. 7B is a graph showing unprogrammed and programmed voltage profiles 212 , 216 at node F ( FIG. 6 ) versus the voltage applied between power rail 144 and ground rail 148 .
- both the unprogrammed and programmed voltages are generally well behaved and stable enough relative to changes in applied voltage to be sensed using a sensing circuit ( 244 , FIG. 8 ) comprising a simple inverter. Since the sensing circuit needs only an inverter, very little space is needed to implement the sensing circuit. This, in combination with the fact that, as discussed above, the programming wiring (not shown) need not be unduly large, permit antifuse region 108 ( FIG. 1 ) to be highly densified, saving valuable area aboard chip 100 .
- sensing circuit does not require any latches.
- a latchless design eliminates soft errors in the sensing circuit.
- the sensing circuit is radiation hardened. That is, a radiation event, i.e., bombardment by a radiation particle, will not cause a critical error that can only be corrected upon reset. Rather, since the state of antifuse device 120 ( FIG. 2 ) is represented by direct current (DC) signals, i.e., DC voltages at node F, a radiation event will only cause a transient in the signal, which will self-correct once the radiation event has ended.
- DC direct current
- FIG. 8 illustrates an antifuse/sensing circuit 220 of the present invention that includes an antifuse device 224 in combination with a sensing circuit 228 .
- Sensing circuit 228 is in electrical communication with output node F and may be provided for sensing the programming state of antifuse device 224 , i.e., whether antifuse device has been programmed or remains unprogrammed.
- Sensing circuit 228 may comprise an inverter 232 and an output IOUT for providing the logic-level digital output of the inverter to other circuitry (not shown).
- antifuse device 224 comprises a bias pFET 236 and an antifuse pFET 240 , each of which may be a thin-oxide device having a tunneling current at a voltage, such as voltage Vdd.
- Antifuse device 220 generally functions in the manner described above in connection with antifuse devices 120 , 188 of FIGS. 2 and 6 , respectively, so as to induce an unprogrammed voltage, e.g., 900 mV, at node F when the voltage Vdd across the device is 1.2 V and a programmed voltage, e.g., 120 mV, at node F at the same applied voltage.
- inverter 232 may be an ordinary two element “thick”, i.e., non-tunneling, gate inverter well known in the prior art.
- inverter 232 may be replaced with a logic gate, e.g., an AND, OR, NAND or NOR gate, so as to convert the output voltage at node F to a full logic level digital signal, if needed.
- a simple gated inverter (not shown) may be used.
- FIG. 9 illustrates antifuse/sensing circuit 220 of FIG. 8 in conjunction with a programming circuit 244 and an antifuse element protection device 248 for protecting bias pFET 236 and other elements, e.g., inverter 232 , from the relatively large programming voltage provided via node FSOURCE.
- a benefit of antifuse pFET 240 , and other tunneling antifuse elements of the present invention is that they can be programmed with relatively very little programming current, typically on the order of 100 ⁇ A or less.
- Programming circuit 244 may be electrically connected to antifuse/sensing circuit at programming node P 1 located between isolation device 248 and antifuse element 240 .
- Programming circuit 244 may include a thick-oxide transistor 252 having its source 254 electrically connected to a ground 256 and a programming input PROGP electrically connected to gate 258 of the transistor. Under non-programming conditions, input PROGP is held low so that transistor 252 is open. However, during programming input PROGP is made high, thereby closing transistor 252 to provide a conductive path from node FSOURCE through antifuse pFET to ground 256 .
- a relatively large programming voltage e.g., on the order of 3.5 V when the gate oxide layer thickness of antifuse pFET 240 is 17 ⁇ , is applied to node FSOURCE to induce that voltage across the antifuse pFET so as to cause the dielectric material in the tunneling region (gate oxide layer) of the antifuse pFET to break down, thereby forming a conductive filament (not shown) through the tunneling region.
- the programming voltage is removed from node FSOURCE and input PROGP is once again made low.
- Antifuse pFET 240 is now programmed.
- antifuse pFET 240 conductive, thus lowering its resistance relative to its resistance when only a tunneling current is present.
- the resistance of antifuse pFET 240 in its programmed state is typically on the order of 1 M ⁇ to 10 M ⁇ , more typically 1 M ⁇ to 5 M ⁇ when the antifuse is a pFET device as shown having a gate oxide thickness of about 17 ⁇ , but may be more or less depending upon the particular device used to make the antifuse element.
- many, e.g., on the order of hundreds or more may be programmed simultaneously.
- programming circuit 244 may be different from the programming circuit shown.
Abstract
Description
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention generally relates to the field of integrated circuits. In particular, the present invention is directed to a programmable electronic antifuse and circuits made therewith.
- 2. Background of the Invention
- Programmable fuses and antifuses are devices useful in a variety of integrated circuits (ICs). Programmable fuses and antifuses allow IC designers to “personalize,” or custom configure, various circuits to provide the respective circuits with desired functionality and/or reconfigure the circuits to bypass one or more defective elements or utilize redundant elements or circuits to replace defective elements or circuits. A programmable fuse is a device that is closed in its unprogrammed state and open when programmed. Generally, a programmable fuse comprises a fusible conductive link that is broken during programming so that the conductive link no longer closes the circuit.
- Programmable fuses are generally of either a laser programmable type or an electronically programmable type. In both types, the fusible conductive link is broken by heating the link sufficiently so as to cause the link to melt. In the laser programmable type of fuse, a laser provides the energy that melts the conductive link. In the electronically programmable type, a relatively large current is passed through the conductive link such that the resistive heating of the link causes the link to melt. Laser programmable fuses are not suitable in many ICs due to the fact that it is often desirable to program the fuses after the IC has been encapsulated and packaged. This is so because laser programmable fuses must be exposed so that a laser beam can be shone upon them in order to melt them. Conventional electronically programmable fuses are generally not desirable for today″s CMOS-based ICs due to the high programming voltages and currents required and the non-CMOS fabrication techniques needed to make some fuses that add to the overall cost and complexity of making the ICs.
- A programmable antifuse, on the other hand, is a device that is open in its unprogrammed state and closed when programmed. Conventionally, an antifuse comprises two conductive regions separated by an insulating region that electrically insulates the two conductive regions from one another. In its unprogrammed state, the antifuse generally acts as a capacitor, with no current passing from one conductive region to the other. When programmed, however, the insulating ability of the insulating region is at least partially destroyed, allowing current to flow between the two conductive regions. Typically, programming an antifuse results in the formation of a conductive filament that extends within the insulating region between the two conductive regions.
- To date, several types of programmable antifuse devices have been proposed and used in various ICs. Generally, all of these types are electronically programmable, i.e., programmable by charging the conductive regions of the antifuses with a voltage high enough to cause the insulating region between these regions to break down sufficiently to cause it to become at least partially conductive. One type of programmable antifuse is a metal-oxide-metal antifuse. This type of antifuse structure is not desirable in CMOS-based ICs because of the non-standard processing techniques needed to fabricate the metal conductive portions of the antifuse.
- Another type of conventional programmable antifuse is a polysilicon antifuse having its insulating region made of polysilicon. Although this type of antifuse is compatible with CMOS processing techniques, existing polysilicon antifuses include fusible links that typically require 10 mA to 15 mA of programming current at a voltage higher than needed during normal operation of the IC containing the antifuses. Consequently, the wiring that carries the programming current for such polysilicon antifuses needs to be robust. This increases the area needed for the antifuses and associated wiring. In addition, existing cobalt silicide polysilicon antifuses undergo only a relatively small change in resistance from its unprogrammed state to its programmed state. Therefore, the sensing circuits needed to sense such small resistance changes must be very robust and complex. Such sensing circuits require many elements, and their resistive trip points may need to be adjusted frequently to manage large tails in resistive distributions.
- More recently, antifuse designers have utilized current oxide technology in an attempt to improve the density of antifuse devices within ICs and to reduce programming current by at least two orders of magnitude over present polysilicon antifuse technology. In addition to reducing the size of programming wiring, an additional benefit of achieving such low programming currents, e.g., in the microamp regime, is the ability to program hundreds or more antifuses at once, thereby reducing the time needed to program all of the antifuses. Recent efforts utilizing trench or thin-oxide field-effect transistor (FET) structures have had very good results in terms of programming current. Such antifuses have required as little as 1 μA. However, the resistances of these antifuses in their programmed state are typically in the mega-ohm regime. Techniques for sensing such high-resistance fuses have been shown in the prior art, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,426,668, entitled “Imbalanced Sense Amplifier Fuse Detection Circuit,” owned by the assignee of the present invention, among other publications.
- A fundamental problem with antifuses having conducting regions made with semiconductor materials, e.g., when the antifuses are made from CMOS FET structures, is that the conductive filament resulting from programming has a highly non-linear resistance. This characteristic of such antifuses is due to the migration of dopant atoms from the gate and channel of the FET into the gate oxide insulating layer between the gate and channel. Consequently, the resistance is low at high voltages, but very high at the low voltages at which the antifuse will operate once programmed. The result of the very high resistances of the programmed state is that the complex sensing circuits mentioned above must be used to sense the programmed state of the antifuse. While such sensing circuits exist and are effective in discriminating small differences between unprogrammed and programmed resistances, they typically are relatively large circuits having a dynamic design sensitive to noise, voltage variations and process variations. These large sensing circuits result in lower antifuse density and increased circuit complexity.
- In view of the foregoing, a need exists for an antifuse technology having a several order of magnitude change between unprogrammed and programmed resistances that can be reliably sensed by a simple sensing circuit, and which can be readily integrated into conventional CMOS processing.
- In one aspect, the present invention is directed to an antifuse device operable at a voltage thereacross. The antifuse device comprises a first element having a first conductive region, a second conductive region and a tunneling region located between the first and second conductive regions. The tunneling region is operatively configured so that a tunneling current is present between the first and second conductive regions of the first element when the voltage is applied across the antifuse device. A second element having a first conductive region, a second conductive region and a tunneling region is located between the first and second conductive regions. The tunneling region is operatively configured so that a tunneling current is present between the first and second conductive regions of the second element when the voltage is applied across the antifuse device. An output node electrically coupled between the first element and the second element.
- In another aspect, the present invention is directed to an integrated circuit chip that comprises functional circuitry and at least one antifuse device operatively connected to the functional circuitry. The at least one antifuse device comprises a first element having a first conductive region, a second conductive region and a tunneling region located between the first and second conductive regions. The tunneling region is operatively configured so that a tunneling current is present between the first and second conductive regions of the first element when the voltage is applied across the antifuse device. A second element having a first conductive region, a second conductive region and a tunneling region located between the first and second conductive regions. The tunneling region is operatively configured so that a tunneling current is present between the first and second conductive regions of the second element when the voltage is applied across the antifuse device. An output node is electrically coupled between the first element and the second element. A programming circuit is in electrical communication with the second element and operatively configured to cause the tunneling region of the second element to become conductive when the programming circuit is energized.
- For the purpose of illustrating the invention, the drawings show a form of the invention that is presently preferred. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown in the drawings, wherein:
-
FIG. 1 is a high-level schematic diagram of an integrated circuit chip of the present invention; -
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an antifuse device according to the present invention; -
FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a pFET suitable for use in the antifuse device ofFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 4 is a plan view of a multi-fingered antifuse element suitable for use in the antifuse device ofFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view as taken along line 5-5 ofFIG. 4 ; -
FIG. 6 is a plan view of the antifuse device ofFIG. 1 implemented with FETs made using CMOS processing techniques; -
FIG. 7A is graph of (1) the voltage at node F of an exemplary pFET antifuse device for several ratios of the area of the biasing pFET to the area of the antifuse pFET when the antifuse pFET is unprogrammed and (2) the voltage at node F for the same ratios as a function of programmed antifuse resistance;FIG. 7B is a graph of the unprogrammed and programmed voltage at node F for different voltages applied across the pFET antifuse device; -
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an antifuse/sensing circuit of the present invention; and -
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of an antifuse/sensing/programming circuit of the present invention. - Referring now to the drawings,
FIG. 1 shows in accordance with the present invention an integrated circuit (IC) chip, which is generally denoted by the numeral 100.Chip 100 may be any type of IC chip, such as an application-specific IC (ASIC) chip, memory chip, microprocessor chip or system-on-chip, among others.Chip 100 may provide any one or more functions needed to suit a particular design. For example,chip 100 may includevarious regions 104 containing, e.g., memory, I/O, communication and/or logic circuitry, among others. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the particular function(s) thatchip 100 provides is/are not material to the understanding of the present invention. Therefore, these functions are not described herein. -
Chip 100 may include at least oneantifuse region 108 containing one or more electronically programmableantifuse devices 112 and/orsensing circuits 116 for sensing the programming state of each antifuse device. Generally, eachantifuse device 112 has a programmed state and an unprogrammed state useful for tasks such as personalizing, or custom configuring, various circuits (not shown) withinregions 104 aboardchip 100 so as to provide the respective circuits with desired functionality and/or reconfigure the circuits to bypass one or more defective elements or utilize redundant elements or circuits to replace defective elements or segments. A more detailed explanation of the use ofantifuse devices 112 andsensing circuits 116 is not necessary herein, since the use of antifuses is well established and practiced in the art. -
FIG. 2 illustrates anantifuse device 120 of the present invention that may be used for eachantifuse device 112 ofchip 100 ofFIG. 1 .Antifuse device 112 may be referred to as a “two element” device due to it containing two primary elements, atunneling bias element 124 and atunneling antifuse element 128 electrically connected to one another in series. Generally, each ofbias element 124 andantifuse element 128 may comprise a first conductive region 132 B, 132 A and a secondconductive region tunneling region tunneling region conductive regions element - In this connection, it is noted that the term “tunneling current” as used herein and in the appended claims shall include not only classic tunneling current, but also leakage current that can be present across certain dielectric materials, even without classical tunneling current being present. This definition of “tunneling current” recognizes the fact that a current having a magnitude on the order of a tunneling current can be achieved without tunneling, e.g., by using a “leaky” dielectric layer comprising either an inherently leaky dielectric material, e.g., tantalum oxide, or an inherently non-leaky material provided with impurities that render the layer leaky. Typically, leakage current that flows through an element will be about two orders, more or less, of magnitude smaller that the current that flows through that element when the element is “conductive,” as this term is defined below. Similarly, the terms “tunneling bias element,” “tunneling antifuse element,” “tunneling region” and similar terms shall encompass elements having either tunneling current or leakage current, or both, thereacross. In addition, it is also noted that the term “essentially nonconductive” is used herein and in the appended claims relative to an element, such as bias and
antifuse elements - Each of bias and
tunneling elements antifuse elements tunneling elements antifuse elements -
Conductive regions antifuse elements regions -
Antifuse device 120 further includes an output node F located betweenbias element 124 andantifuse element 128.Biasing element 124 may be connected to a power rail 144 (or ground rail in certain embodiments, such an nFET dual of antifuse device) andantifuse element 128 may be connected to apower rail 148. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, sincebias element 124 andantifuse element 128 are each designed to pass tunneling currents when connected betweenrails antifuse device 120 has characteristics similar to that of a simple voltage divider, wherein the output voltage FOUT appearing at node F can be controlled by adjusting the relative resistances ofbias element 124 andantifuse element 128. - Generally, the relative resistances of
bias element 124 and unprogrammedantifuse element 128 may be adjusted by adjusting the amount of tunneling current permitted to pass through the bias element and the antifuse element in its unprogrammed state. In one embodiment, each ofbias element 124 andantifuse element 128 may be made using aconventional FET structure 152 as shown inFIG. 3 .FET structure 152 may include asource 156, drain 160,channel 164,gate 168 andgate oxide layer 172 made using conventional processing techniques, such as CMOS processing techniques. When each of bias andantifuse elements FET structure 152, variables that affect the tunneling current throughoxide layer 172 include the physical thickness of the oxide layer and the physical area ofgate 168 in contact with the oxide layer, since, for a given dielectric material for the oxide layer, tunneling current increases (and resistance decreases) with decreasing physical thickness of the oxide layer and increasing area of the gate. - Other variables being equal, tunneling current may also be increased (and resistance decreased) when a
tunneling implant region 176 is providedadjacent oxide layer 172.Tunneling implant region 176 may be implanted with certain dopants that promote tunneling. For example, whenFET structure 152 is of the p-type,implant region 176 may be implanted with a high dose of phosphorous atoms. WhenFET structure 152 is of the n-type,implant region 176 may be implanted with a high dose of boron atoms. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other dopants may be used. - Referring again to
FIG. 2 , and also toFIG. 3 , in order for a tunneling current to be present on each of bias andantifuse elements tunneling region region gate oxide layer 172 when made using conventional CMOS processing, the thickness of the gate oxide layer will be about 17 Å or less. It has been observed that the tunneling current for one example ofantifuse element 128 is about 2.28 nA/(μm2 of oxide layer area) at 1 V whengate oxide layer 172 is a 17 Å thick silicon dioxide layer. Generally, the thinnergate oxide layer 172 is made, the higher the tunneling current will be. The area ofgate 168 may be made any size needed to suit a particular design. In addition to varying the length and/or width ofgate 168, agate 168′ may includemultiple segments 180, such as shown inFIGS. 4 and 5 , so as to increase the gate area. InFIGS. 4 and 5 ,gate 168′ comprises fivesegments 180, three of which extend over the junction ofFET structure 152′. -
FIG. 6 shows an exemplary antifuse device structure 188 corresponding toantifuse device 120 ofFIG. 2 wherein each of bias andantifuse elements pFETs bias pFET 192 to the gate area ofantifuse pFET 196 is 1:1 or greater, the voltage seen at node F (FOUT) is a relatively large fraction of the voltage acrossantifuse device 120, e.g., Vdd, when the antifuse pFET is unprogrammed.FIG. 7A is agraph 198 illustrating the voltages seen at node F (FOUT), as expressed by lines, 200A, 200B, 200C, 200D for various ratios of the gate area ofbias pFET 192 to the gate area ofantifuse pFET 196 when the antifuse pFET is unprogrammed and the voltage across antifuse device is 1 volt. As shown inFIG. 7A , for ratios of gate area ofbias pFET 192 to gate area ofantifuse pFET 196 of 1:1, 2:1, 4:1 and 8:1, the voltages seen inantifuse device 120 at node F (FOUT) are about 635 mV, 730 mV, 825 mV and 905 mV, respectively. It is noted thatlines antifuse pFET 196 is essentially constant. Of course, as discussed in the immediately preceding paragraph, while the ratio of tunneling currents (resistances) of bias and antifusepFETs - Referring again to
FIG. 2 , oncebias element 124 andantifuse element 128 have been fabricated with a certain ratio of tunneling currents (resistances) so as to achieve a desired unprogrammed voltage FOUT at node F, the antifuse element may now be programmed to provide the antifuse element with a much lower resistance, if desired.Programming antifuse element 128 involves applying a programming voltage across the antifuse element of a magnitude sufficient to cause a dielectric breakdown withintunneling region 140 A. Generally, the dielectric breakdown intunneling region 140 A will cause a conductive filament (not shown) to form betweenconductive regions 132 A, 136 A, allowing a certain amount of current to flow throughantifuse element 128 that is relatively large compared to the tunneling current. The resistance ofantifuse element 128 when programmed can be varied by changing the programming voltage. Higher programming voltages generally result in increased dielectric breakdown, which allows more current to flow conductively acrosstunneling region 140 A, thereby decreasing the effective resistance ofantifuse element 128. Programming currents forantifuse element 128 of the present invention are generally on the order of 100 μA or less, which does not require overly large and robust programming wiring. In addition, such low programming currents allow many, e.g., tens, hundreds or more, antifuse devices to be programmed simultaneously with one another. - Once
antifuse element 128 has been programmed, voltage FOUT appearing at node F at a certain voltage applied acrossantifuse device 120 will be much less than the voltage FOUT that appears at node F at the same applied voltage when the antifuse element is unprogrammed. This is illustrated inFIG. 7A for exemplary pFET antifuse structure 188 ofFIG. 6 . As seen inFIG. 7A , for ratios of the gate area ofbias pFET 192 to the gate area ofantifuse pFET 196 of 1:1, 2:1, 4:1 and 8:1, the voltages FOUT seen in antifuse device 188 at node F, as represented bylines antifuse pFET 196 is relatively low, e.g., 1 MΩ, are less sensitive to the ratio of the gate areas than the voltages FOUT at node F when the programmed resistance of the antifuse pFET is relatively high, e.g., 10 MΩ. For example, at a programmed resistance of 1 MΩ, the difference in voltage FOUT at node F from a ratio of 1:1 (line 204D) to a ratio of 8:1 (line 204A) is only about 100 mV (about 20 mV to about 120 mV, respectively), whereas the difference in voltage FOUT at node F from a ratio of 1:1 to a ratio of 8:1 at a programmed resistance of 10 MΩ is about 310 mV (about 150 mV to about 460 mV, respectively). - However, regardless of how voltage FOUT seen at node F varies with respect to the programmed resistance of
antifuse device 120 and/or ratio of gate areas, an important point to note fromFIG. 7A is the sheer magnitude of the difference in voltages seen at node F between the unprogrammed state and programmed state ofantifuse pFET 196, and, more generally,antifuse element 128 ofFIG. 2 . As can be seen inFIG. 7A , the smallest difference in voltage FOUT seen at node F (FIG. 6 ) between the unprogrammed and programmed states ofantifuse pFET 196 is about 450 mV (about 910 mV online 200A to about 460 mV online 204A), which occurs at a programmed resistance of 10 MΩ and a gate area ratio of 8:1. As discussed below in more detail, a difference of 450 mV can be readily sensed by a simple sensing circuit. In contrast, the largest difference in voltage FOUT seen at node F between the unprogrammed and programmed states ofantifuse pFET 196 is about 790 mV (about 910 mV online 200A to about 120 mV online 204A), which occurs at a programmed resistance of 1 MΩ and a gate area ratio of 8:1. The unprogrammed and programmed voltages of 910 nV and 120 mV are virtually in the realm of logic-level voltages. Such differences in voltages may be readily sensed for determining the programming state of antifuse device. -
FIG. 7B is a graph showing unprogrammed and programmedvoltage profiles FIG. 6 ) versus the voltage applied betweenpower rail 144 andground rail 148. As can be seen, both the unprogrammed and programmed voltages are generally well behaved and stable enough relative to changes in applied voltage to be sensed using a sensing circuit (244,FIG. 8 ) comprising a simple inverter. Since the sensing circuit needs only an inverter, very little space is needed to implement the sensing circuit. This, in combination with the fact that, as discussed above, the programming wiring (not shown) need not be unduly large, permit antifuse region 108 (FIG. 1 ) to be highly densified, saving valuable area aboardchip 100. An additional benefit to needing only a simple inverter to sense the programming state of the antifuse is the fact that the sensing circuit does not require any latches. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, a latchless design eliminates soft errors in the sensing circuit. Another benefit of a latchless design is that the sensing circuit is radiation hardened. That is, a radiation event, i.e., bombardment by a radiation particle, will not cause a critical error that can only be corrected upon reset. Rather, since the state of antifuse device 120 (FIG. 2 ) is represented by direct current (DC) signals, i.e., DC voltages at node F, a radiation event will only cause a transient in the signal, which will self-correct once the radiation event has ended. Of course, those skilled in the art will appreciate that while a latchless sensing circuit may be desirable in certain designs, sensing circuits that include latches may be used in the alternative, if needed to suit a particular design. -
FIG. 8 illustrates an antifuse/sensing circuit 220 of the present invention that includes anantifuse device 224 in combination with asensing circuit 228.Sensing circuit 228 is in electrical communication with output node F and may be provided for sensing the programming state ofantifuse device 224, i.e., whether antifuse device has been programmed or remains unprogrammed.Sensing circuit 228 may comprise aninverter 232 and an output IOUT for providing the logic-level digital output of the inverter to other circuitry (not shown). In the embodiment shown,antifuse device 224 comprises abias pFET 236 and anantifuse pFET 240, each of which may be a thin-oxide device having a tunneling current at a voltage, such as voltage Vdd.Antifuse device 220 generally functions in the manner described above in connection withantifuse devices 120, 188 ofFIGS. 2 and 6 , respectively, so as to induce an unprogrammed voltage, e.g., 900 mV, at node F when the voltage Vdd across the device is 1.2 V and a programmed voltage, e.g., 120 mV, at node F at the same applied voltage. In this example, the difference between the unprogrammed and programmed voltages is 780 mV, which is more than adequate for being sensed byinverter 232.Inverter 232 may be an ordinary two element “thick”, i.e., non-tunneling, gate inverter well known in the prior art. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that, with the relatively large difference in voltage at node F between the unprogrammed and programmed states ofantifuse device 224,inverter 232 may be replaced with a logic gate, e.g., an AND, OR, NAND or NOR gate, so as to convert the output voltage at node F to a full logic level digital signal, if needed. Additionally, if power usage is a design concern, a simple gated inverter (not shown) may be used. -
FIG. 9 illustrates antifuse/sensing circuit 220 ofFIG. 8 in conjunction with aprogramming circuit 244 and an antifuse element protection device 248 for protectingbias pFET 236 and other elements, e.g.,inverter 232, from the relatively large programming voltage provided via node FSOURCE. As mentioned above, a benefit ofantifuse pFET 240, and other tunneling antifuse elements of the present invention, is that they can be programmed with relatively very little programming current, typically on the order of 100 μA or less. -
Programming circuit 244 may be electrically connected to antifuse/sensing circuit at programming node P1 located between isolation device 248 andantifuse element 240.Programming circuit 244 may include a thick-oxide transistor 252 having itssource 254 electrically connected to aground 256 and a programming input PROGP electrically connected togate 258 of the transistor. Under non-programming conditions, input PROGP is held low so thattransistor 252 is open. However, during programming input PROGP is made high, thereby closingtransistor 252 to provide a conductive path from node FSOURCE through antifuse pFET to ground 256. Whiletransistor 252 is high, a relatively large programming voltage, e.g., on the order of 3.5 V when the gate oxide layer thickness ofantifuse pFET 240 is 17 Å, is applied to node FSOURCE to induce that voltage across the antifuse pFET so as to cause the dielectric material in the tunneling region (gate oxide layer) of the antifuse pFET to break down, thereby forming a conductive filament (not shown) through the tunneling region. Once the conductive filament has formed, the programming voltage is removed from node FSOURCE and input PROGP is once again made low.Antifuse pFET 240 is now programmed. - As discussed above, the presence of the conductive filament makes antifuse
pFET 240 conductive, thus lowering its resistance relative to its resistance when only a tunneling current is present. The resistance ofantifuse pFET 240 in its programmed state is typically on the order of 1 MΩ to 10 MΩ, more typically 1 MΩ to 5 MΩ when the antifuse is a pFET device as shown having a gate oxide thickness of about 17 Å, but may be more or less depending upon the particular device used to make the antifuse element. As mentioned above, with the relatively small programming currents and voltages needed to program a single antifuse element 128 (FIG. 2 ) of the present invention, many, e.g., on the order of hundreds or more, may be programmed simultaneously. Those skilled in the art will appreciate the modifications necessary toprogramming circuit 244 to enable such simultaneous programming such that a detailed description of these modifications is not necessary herein. In addition, of course,programming circuit 244 may be different from the programming circuit shown. - While the present invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that it is not so limited. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined above and in the claims appended hereto.
Claims (25)
Priority Applications (8)
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US10/605,523 US6879021B1 (en) | 2003-10-06 | 2003-10-06 | Electronically programmable antifuse and circuits made therewith |
KR1020067006411A KR100992023B1 (en) | 2003-10-06 | 2004-10-04 | Electronically programmable antifuse and circuits made therewith |
JP2006534212A JP5201650B2 (en) | 2003-10-06 | 2004-10-04 | Antifuse device and integrated circuit chip having antifuse device |
CNB2004800292536A CN100433335C (en) | 2003-10-06 | 2004-10-04 | Electronically programmable antifuse and circuits made therewith |
EP04817244A EP1678764A4 (en) | 2003-10-06 | 2004-10-04 | Electronically programmable antifuse and circuits made therewith |
PCT/US2004/032581 WO2005038869A2 (en) | 2003-10-06 | 2004-10-04 | Electronically programmable antifuse and circuits made therewith |
US11/051,703 US7215002B2 (en) | 2003-10-06 | 2005-02-04 | Electronically programmable antifuse and circuits made therewith |
US11/627,723 US7687883B2 (en) | 2003-10-06 | 2007-01-26 | Electronically programmable antifuse and circuits made therewith |
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US11/627,723 Expired - Fee Related US7687883B2 (en) | 2003-10-06 | 2007-01-26 | Electronically programmable antifuse and circuits made therewith |
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US11/627,723 Expired - Fee Related US7687883B2 (en) | 2003-10-06 | 2007-01-26 | Electronically programmable antifuse and circuits made therewith |
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JP (1) | JP5201650B2 (en) |
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- 2004-10-04 WO PCT/US2004/032581 patent/WO2005038869A2/en active Application Filing
- 2004-10-04 EP EP04817244A patent/EP1678764A4/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2004-10-04 KR KR1020067006411A patent/KR100992023B1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2004-10-04 JP JP2006534212A patent/JP5201650B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
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2005
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Cited By (10)
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US20050093092A1 (en) * | 2003-10-29 | 2005-05-05 | Tran Lung T. | Resistive memory device and method for making the same |
US7057258B2 (en) * | 2003-10-29 | 2006-06-06 | Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. | Resistive memory device and method for making the same |
WO2014009247A1 (en) * | 2012-07-10 | 2014-01-16 | Soitec | Antifuse |
FR2993389A1 (en) * | 2012-07-10 | 2014-01-17 | Soitec Silicon On Insulator | antifuse |
US10186515B2 (en) | 2012-07-10 | 2019-01-22 | Soitec | Antifuse cell comprising program transistor and select transistor arranged on opposite sides of semiconductor layer |
US20160064974A1 (en) * | 2014-09-02 | 2016-03-03 | Energy Pass Incorporation | Battery protection integrated circuit applied to battery charging/discharging system and method for determining resistances of voltage divider of battery protection integrated circuit |
US9871390B2 (en) * | 2014-09-02 | 2018-01-16 | Silergy Corp. | Battery protection integrated circuit applied to battery charging/discharging system and method for determining resistances of voltage divider of battery protection integrated circuit |
US20190131237A1 (en) * | 2017-11-02 | 2019-05-02 | Nanya Technology Corporation | Anti-fuse structure |
US10720389B2 (en) * | 2017-11-02 | 2020-07-21 | Nanya Technology Corporation | Anti-fuse structure |
CN112750835A (en) * | 2019-10-29 | 2021-05-04 | 长鑫存储技术有限公司 | Anti-fuse structure and manufacturing method thereof |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US6879021B1 (en) | 2005-04-12 |
JP5201650B2 (en) | 2013-06-05 |
KR100992023B1 (en) | 2010-11-05 |
US7687883B2 (en) | 2010-03-30 |
WO2005038869A3 (en) | 2006-02-09 |
CN100433335C (en) | 2008-11-12 |
US20070120221A1 (en) | 2007-05-31 |
KR20060132564A (en) | 2006-12-21 |
WO2005038869A2 (en) | 2005-04-28 |
CN1864262A (en) | 2006-11-15 |
EP1678764A4 (en) | 2011-03-02 |
JP2007507907A (en) | 2007-03-29 |
US20050133884A1 (en) | 2005-06-23 |
EP1678764A2 (en) | 2006-07-12 |
US7215002B2 (en) | 2007-05-08 |
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