FUSES AND FUSE PROGRAMMING METHODS

• US 20150228436A1
• Filed: 01/30/2015
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Lehmann, Gunther, Fischer, Armin, Siegler, Sascha, Ungar, Franz, Von Glasow, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US14/609,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20150228436A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 17/16 using electrically-fusible links
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 17/18 Auxiliary circuits, e.g. for writing into memory
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5256 comprising fuses, i.e. connections having their state changed from conductive to non-conductive
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 20/20 Programmable ROM [PROM] devices comprising field-effect components H10B20/10 takes precedence

Abstract

A fuse may be provided, which may include: a first fuse link; a second fuse link coupled in series to the first fuse link; and a connection element coupled between the first and second fuse links and disposed in the same level as the first and second fuse links.

Claims

1. A fuse, comprising:

a first fuse link;

a second fuse link coupled in series to the first fuse link; and

a connection element coupled between the first and second fuse links and disposed in the same level as the first and second fuse links.

2. The fuse of claim 1, wherein the connection element has a non-minimal feature size.

3. The fuse of claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional area of the connection element is larger than a cross-sectional area of the first fuse link and larger than a cross-sectional area of the second fuse link.

4. The fuse of claim 1, further comprising:

a first terminal region and a second terminal region,

wherein the first fuse link, the second fuse link, and the connection element are coupled between the first and second terminal regions.

5. The fuse of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional fuse link coupled in series to the second fuse link.

6. The fuse of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second fuse links comprises polysilicon.

7. A fuse, comprising:

a first fuse link;

a second fuse link coupled in series to the first fuse link,

wherein at least one of the first and second fuse links comprises polysilicon.

8. The fuse of claim 7, further comprising:

a first terminal region and a second terminal region,

wherein the first and second fuse links are coupled between the first and second terminal regions.

9. The fuse of claim 8, wherein a cross-sectional area of the first terminal region is larger than a cross-sectional area of the first fuse link, and wherein a cross-sectional area of the second terminal region is larger than a cross-sectional area of the second fuse link.

10. The fuse of claim 7, further comprising:

at least one connection element coupled between the first and second fuse links.

11. The fuse of claim 10, wherein the at least one connection element is disposed in the same level as the first and second fuse links.

12. The fuse of claim 10, wherein the at least one connection element is disposed in a different level than the first and second fuse links.

13. The fuse of claim 10, wherein the at least one connection element is disposed in a metallization level at least one of above and below the first and second fuse links.

14. The fuse of claim 7, wherein the at least one of the first and second fuse links comprises a polysilicon layer and a silicide layer at a surface of the polysilicon layer.

15. The fuse of claim 7, wherein the first and second fuse links comprise polysilicon, and wherein the polysilicon of one of the first and second fuse links comprises doped polysilicon and the polysilicon of the other one of the first and second fuse links comprises undoped polysilicon.

16. The fuse of claim 7, wherein the first and second fuse links comprise polysilicon, and wherein the polysilicon of one of the first and second fuse links comprises n-doped polysilicon and the polysilicon of the other one of the first and second fuse links comprises p-doped polysilicon.

17. A fuse, comprising:

a first fuse link;

a second fuse link coupled in series to the first fuse link; and

at least one non-fusable connection element coupled between the first and second fuse links, the connection element having a non-minimal feature size and being disposed in a metallization level at least one of above and below the first and second fuse links.

18. The fuse of claim 17, wherein a cross-sectional area of the at least one non-fusable connection element is larger than a cross-sectional area of the first fuse link and larger than a cross-sectional area of the second fuse link.

19. The fuse of claim 17, wherein the connection element is configured to have a lateral current flow.

20. The fuse of claim 17, further comprising:

a first terminal region and a second terminal region,

wherein the first fuse link, the second fuse link, and the at least one non-fusable connection element are coupled between the first and second terminal regions.

21. The fuse of claim 20, wherein a cross-sectional area of the first terminal region is larger than a cross-sectional area of the first fuse link, and wherein a cross-sectional area of the second terminal region is larger than a cross-sectional area of the second fuse link.

22. A fuse, comprising:

a first fuse link;

a second fuse link coupled in series to the first fuse link, wherein the first and second fuse links are configured to have a lateral current flow; and

a connection element coupled between the first and second fuse links, the connection element being disposed in a metallization level at least one of above and below the first and second fuse links.

23. The fuse of claim 22, wherein the first and second fuse links are disposed in the same level.

24. The fuse of claim 22, wherein a cross-sectional area of the connection element is larger than a cross-sectional area of the first fuse link and larger than a cross-sectional area of the second fuse link.

25. The fuse of claim 22, wherein at least one of the first and second fuse links comprises polysilicon.