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US 9,793,002 B2Granted
Fuse element programming circuit and method
AssigneeSemiconductor Components Industries, LLC
InventorJefferson W. Hall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one embodiment, a programming circuit is configured to form a programming current for a silicide fuse element by using a non-silicide programming element.
Claims20
A circuit for programming a fuse element comprising:
- a memory cell having the fuse element that includes a first semiconductor material body region and a silicide layer;
- a programming circuit configured to form a programming current to program the fuse element;
- and
- a programming element configured to control a value of the programming current, the programming element having a second semiconductor material body region but not a silicide layer wherein a cross-sectional area of the second semiconductor material body region of the programming element is substantially the same as a cross-sectional area of the first semiconductor material body region of the fuse element;
- the programming circuit configured to control the programming current to a first value responsively to a resistance of the programming element, the programming circuit subsequently controls the programming current to a different value responsively to a resistance of the fuse element.
2 more elements
A method of forming a programming circuit for a fuse element comprising:
- forming the programming circuit to include a programming element having a first body region;
- forming the fuse element having a second body region having a first semiconductor layer and a silicide layer wherein the first semiconductor layer has a first resistivity and the silicide layer has a second resistivity wherein a cross-sectional area of the first body region of the programming element is substantially the same as a cross-sectional area of the first semiconductor layer of the second body region of the fuse element;
- and
- configuring the programming circuit to control a value of a programming current through the fuse element to a first value that causes electro-migration of a portion of the silicide layer of the fuse element, the programming circuit subsequently decreases the programming current to a second value that is greater than zero.
1 more element
A method of forming an OTP programming circuit comprising:
- forming a fuse element having a resistance, a first semiconductor layer formed from a semiconductor material, and a silicide layer wherein the first semiconductor layer has a body region having a body resistivity that is substantially a first resistivity, and the silicide layer has a second resistivity that is less than the first resistivity;
- and
- configuring a programming circuit to control a value of a programming current through the fuse element responsively to a body region of a programming element wherein the body region of the programming element is formed from substantially the semiconductor material and has a third resistivity that is substantially equal to the first resistivity, wherein the programming current increases the resistance of the fuse element and wherein a cross-sectional area of the body region of the programming element is substantially the same as a cross-sectional area of the body region of the fuse element.
A method of forming an OTP programming circuit comprising:
- forming a fuse element having a resistance, a first semiconductor layer formed from a semiconductor material, and a silicide layer wherein the first semiconductor layer has a body region having a body resistivity that is substantially a first resistivity, and the silicide layer has a second resistivity that is less than the first resistivity;
- configuring a programming circuit to control a value of a programming current through the fuse element responsively to a body region of a programming element wherein the body region of the programming element is formed from substantially the semiconductor material and has a third resistivity that is substantially equal to the first resistivity, wherein the programming current increases the resistance of the fuse element;
- and
- forming a cross-sectional area of the body region of the first semiconductor layer substantially the same as a cross-sectional area of the body region of the programming element wherein each cross-section is taken in a plane perpendicular to a direction of current flow through the body region of the first semiconductor layer and the body region of the programming element.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.