US 5,859,543 AGranted

Programming architecture for a programmable integrated circuit employing antifuses

AssigneeQuickLogic Corporation

InventorPaige A. Kolze

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Abstract

A programmable integrated circuit such as a field programmable gate array (see FIG. 3) has a few long routing wire segments for transmitting signals long distances across the integrated circuit. These long routing wire segments can be coupled together with programmed antifuses. A high-drive output driver may be used to drive signals a long distance through such coupled together long routing wire segments giving rise to large switching currents across the programmed antifuses that couple the long wire segments together. In some types of antifuses, programmed antifuse reliability is dependent upon maintaining the programming current used to program the antifuse a certain factor greater than the peak switching current flowing through the antifuse during normal operation. The antifuses in these long wire segments therefore should be programmed with proportionately larger programming currents. To increase the programming currents with which these antifuses are programmed, programming current is supplied onto each of the long routing segments from two different programming conductors via two different programming transistors.

Claims4

Dependent claims

A programmable integrated circuit, comprising:

a plurality of logic modules aligned in a row extending in a first dimension, a distance A existing between two adjacent ones of the logic modules;
a first programming conductor extending in a second dimension from a first programming driver, the second dimension being perpendicular to the first dimension;
a second programming conductor extending in the second dimension from a second programming driver;
a first wire segment extending a distance more than two times as long as distance A in the first dimension to a connection node;
a first programming transistor having a first electrode coupled to the connection node and having a second electrode coupled to the first programming conductor;
a second programming transistor having a first electrode coupled to the connection node and having a second electrode coupled to the second programming conductor;
a programming control conductor being coupled to a gate electrode of the first programming transistor and to a gate electrode of the second programming transistor;
a plurality of second wire segments extending parallel to one another in the second dimension, each of the second wire segments crossing the first wire segment;
and
a plurality of antifuses, one of the antifuses being disposed at each location where a second wire segment crosses the first wire segment.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/931,895Filed 17 Sep 1997 · division
Priority: 21 Jun 1996
Granted: 12 Jan 1999
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

H03K 19/17764
Structural details of configuration resources: for reliability
H03K 17/223
Modifications for ensuring a predetermined initial state when the supply voltage has been applied: in field-effect transistor switches
H03K 19/17736
Arranged in matrix form: structural details of routing resources
H03K 19/1778
Arranged in matrix form: structural details for adapting physical parameters