Electrical fuse and associated methods
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorHans-Joachim Barth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuse link of undoped material is connected between first and second doped material contact regions and a layer of conductive material is located above the first and second contact regions and the fuse link. According to other embodiments, a fuse link is connected between first and second contact regions. A layer of conductive material is above the first and second contact regions and the fuse link, and a heat sink is in proximity to the fuse link. In a method, a programming pulse is applied to a fuse link of undoped material connected between first and second doped material contact regions to generate electromigration drift of a conductive material above the first and second contact regions and the fuse link.
Claims39
An apparatus comprising:
- a fuse link of undoped material connected between first and second contact regions;
- a layer of conductive material above the first and second contact regions and the fuse link;
- and
- a heat sink in proximity to the fuse link, the heat sink in proximity of the fuse link having an obtusely formed end.
An apparatus comprising:
- a fuse link of undoped material connected between first and second doped material contact regions, the first contact region being an anode region and the second contact region being a cathode region;
- a layer of conductive material above the first and second contact regions and the fuse link;
- and
- a heat sink adjacent the fuse link,
- wherein one end of the fuse link is connected to the cathode region through an orthogonal connection to cause current crowding to create a hotspot and facilitate electromigration drift of the conductive material above the fuse link, an another end of the fuse link is connected to the anode region through a tapered to a gradually increasing cross-sectional connection, and the heat sink adjacent the fuse link includes an obtusely formed end in a vicinity of the gradually increasing cross-sectional connection.
A system comprising:
- an integrated circuit;
- and
- an electrical fuse in the integrated circuit including:
- a fuse link of undoped material connected between first and second doped material contact regions, the first contact region being an anode region and the second contact region being a cathode region;
- a layer of conductive material above the first and second contact regions and the fuse link;
- and
- a heat sink adjacent the fuse link,
- wherein one end of the fuse link is connected to the cathode region through an orthogonal connection to cause current crowding to create a hotspot and facilitate electromigration drift of the conductive material above the fuse link, an another end of the fuse link is connected to the anode region through a tapered to a gradually increasing cross-sectional connection, and the heat sink adjacent the fuse link includes an obtusely formed end in a vicinity of the gradually increasing cross-sectional connection.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.