Ballasted polycrystalline fuse
AssigneeIntersil Corporation
InventorMichael D. Church
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A polycrystalline fuse includes a first layer of polycrystalline material on a substrate and a second layer of a silicide material on the first layer. The first and second layers are shaped to form first and second terminal portions of a first width joined along a length of the fuse by a fuse portion of a second width narrower than the first width. First and second contacts are connected to the first and second terminal portions respectively. The silicide material being discontinuous in a terminal region of the second layer along the length of the fuse.
Claims14
A polycrystalline fuse comprising:
- a first layer of polycrystalline material on a substrate;
- a second layer of a silicide material on the first layer;
- the first and second layers being shaped to form first and second terminal portions joined along a length of the fuse by a fuse portion having a width narrower than the first and second terminal portions;
- first and second contacts connected to the first and second terminal portions respectively of the second layer forming the fuse material in the fuse portion;
- and
- the silicide material being discontinuous in one of the terminal portions of the second layer along the length of the fuse prior to programming.
A polycrystalline fuse comprising:
- a first layer of polycrystalline material on a substrate;
- a second layer of a silicide material on the first layer;
- the first and second layers being shaped to form first and second terminal portions joined along a length of the fuse by a fuse portion having a width narrower than the first and second terminal portions;
- first and second contacts connected to the first and second terminal portions respectively of the second layer forming the fuse material in the fuse portion;
- and
- the second layer including a third material of a higher resistance than the silicide material in one of the terminal portions and in series with the silicide material between the first and second contacts prior to programming.
A polycrystalline fuse comprising:
- a first layer of polycrystalline material on a substrate;
- a fuse layer on the first layer;
- the first and second layers being shaped to form first and second terminal portions joined along a length of the fuse by a fuse portion having a width narrower than the first and second terminal portions;
- first and second contacts connected to the first and second terminal portions respectively;
- and
- the fuse layer being constructed prior to programming to have an initial current carrying capacity of half of a maximum current carrying capacity for a substantial portion of a programming period and have the maximum current carrying capacity near the end of the programming period.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.