Electronically Programmable Antifuse and Circuits Made Therewith
First Claim
1. An antifuse element comprising:
- (a) a first conductive region;
(b) a second conductive region; and
(c) a tunneling region located between said first and second conductive regions, said tunneling region being operatively configured so that a tunneling current is present between said first and second conductive regions when a first voltage is applied across the antifuse element.
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Abstract
An antifuse device (120) that includes a bias element (124) and an programmable antifuse element (128) arranged in series with one another so as to form a voltage divider having an output node (F) located between the bias and antifuse elements. When the antifuse device is in its unprogrammed state, each of the bias element and antifuse element is non-conductive. When the antifuse device is in its programmed state, the bias element remains non-conductive, but the antifuse element is conductive. The difference in the resistance of the antifuse element between its unprogrammed state and programmed state causes the difference in voltages seen at the output node to be on the order of hundreds of mili-volts when a voltage of 1 V is applied across the antifuse device. This voltage difference is so high that it can be readily sensed using a simple sensing circuit (228).
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. An antifuse element comprising:
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(a) a first conductive region;
(b) a second conductive region; and
(c) a tunneling region located between said first and second conductive regions, said tunneling region being operatively configured so that a tunneling current is present between said first and second conductive regions when a first voltage is applied across the antifuse element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An antifuse device operable at a voltage thereacross, comprising:
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(a) a first element having a first conductive region, a second conductive region and a tunneling region located between said first and second conductive regions, said tunneling region operatively configured so that in an unprogrammed state a tunneling current is present between said first and second conductive regions of said first element when the voltage is applied across the antifuse device, and that in a programmed state said tunneling region is conductive between said first and second conductive regions when the voltage is applied across the antifuse device;
(b) a second element having a first conductive region, a second conductive region and a tunneling region located between said first and second conductive regions, said tunneling region operatively configured so that in an unprogrammed state a tunneling current is present between said first and second conductive regions of said second element when the voltage is applied across the antifuse device, and that in a programmed state said tunneling region is conductive between said first and second conductive regions when the voltage is applied across the antifuse device; and
(c) an output node electrically coupled between said first element and said second element.
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9. A method of establishing a voltage at an output node of an antifuse device, the method comprising:
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(a) providing a first element having a first conductive region, a second conductive region and a tunneling region located between said first and second conductive regions of said first element;
(b) providing a second element having a first conductive region, a second conductive region and a tunneling region located between said first and second conductive regions of said second element;
(c) coupling the output node between said first element and said second element; and
(d) applying a voltage across the antifuse device such that a tunneling current is present between said first and second conductive regions of said first and second elements. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification