Semiconductor device including an anti-fuse element

A semiconductor device including an anti-fuse element and run in operation by a power supplied from a first and a second power supplies;

• comprising:
• a driver transistor whose source is connected to a third power supply and whose gate is connected to a control node;
• an anti-fuse element whose one end is connected to a drain of said driver transistor and whose other end is connected to a fourth power supply;
• a decision circuit connected to said first and second power supplies to decide a resistance value of said anti-fuse element;
• and
• a decoding circuit including a load transistor connected between said third power supply and said control node, and a plurality of selection transistors connected between said second power supply and said control node;
• voltages of said third and fourth power supplies being voltages outside a voltage range between said first and second power supplies to allow for electrical conduction of said anti-fuse element.

A semiconductor device run in operation by being supplied with the power from a first power supply and from a second power supply lower in supply voltage value than said first power supply;

• said semiconductor device comprising:
• an anti-fuse element;
• a plurality of drive transistors whose gates are coupled to selection signals and whose sources and drains are interconnected in series;
• and
• a decision circuit connected to said first and second power supplies to decide a resistance value of said anti-fuse element;
• said plurality of drive transistors, with sources and drains connected in series, and said anti-fuse element, being interconnected in series between a first node and a second node;
• said plurality of drive transistors being also used as a decoding circuit;
• said selection signals being selected so that, for said anti-fuse element to be electrically conductive, said drive transistors connected in series with said anti-fuse element will be made electrically conductive in their entirety;
• said first node being supplied with a voltage higher than the voltage of said first power supply;
• said second node being supplied with a voltage lower than the voltage of said second power supply to render said anti-fuse element electrically conductive.