Method of anti-fuse repair
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An integrated circuit comprising:
- an anti-fuse having an insulative member between first and second conductive members;
means, including logic circuitry, for selectively coupling the first conductive member to a programming voltage;
bias means, including a transistor or a resistor, coupled between the second conductive member and a ground-reference node; and
an external input connected to the second conductive member for applying an external voltage to the second conductive member during programming of the anti-fuse.
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Abstract
An integrated circuit anti-fuse is described which is fabricated as a capacitor using a layer of oxide. The two plates of the anti-fuse are coupled to appropriate voltage levels to rupture the oxide and form a conductive short between the plates. One of the plates is formed as a diffused well which is coupled to an external voltage during programming. The well is biased to an internal voltage during normal operation of the circuit incorporating the anti-fuse.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. An integrated circuit comprising:
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an anti-fuse having an insulative member between first and second conductive members; means, including logic circuitry, for selectively coupling the first conductive member to a programming voltage; bias means, including a transistor or a resistor, coupled between the second conductive member and a ground-reference node; and an external input connected to the second conductive member for applying an external voltage to the second conductive member during programming of the anti-fuse. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A volatile or nonvolatile memory device comprising:
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an anti-fuse having an insulative member between first and second conductive members; means, including logic circuitry, for selectively coupling the first conductive member to a programming voltage; an external input connected to the second conductive member for applying an external voltage to the second conductive member during programming of the anti-fuse; and bias means, including a transistor or a resistor, coupled between the second conductive member and a reference-voltage node for providing a reference voltage to the second conductive member after programming of the anti-fuse. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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6. A memory device comprising:
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an anti-fuse having an insulative member between first and second conductive members; means for selectively coupling the first conductive member to a programming voltage; an external input connected to the second conductive member for applying an external voltage to the second conductive member during programming of the anti-fuse; and bias means coupled between the second conductive member and a reference-voltage node for providing a bias voltage to the second conductive member after programming of the anti-fuse.
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7. A method of operating an integrated circuit anti-fuse which includes an insulative layer between a polysilicon member and a well in a semiconductive substrate, the method comprising:
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coupling the well to a first voltage; using programming logic to couple a second voltage to the polysilicon member, with the first and second voltages being sufficiently different to rupture the insulative layer; and using a bias circuit to couple a third voltage to the well after using the programming logic to couple the second voltage to the polysilicon member. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. A method for operating an anti-fuse circuit comprising:
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programming the anti-fuse circuit, the programming comprising; coupling a first conductive plate of the anti-fuse circuit to a first programming voltage through a contact; coupling a second conductive plate of the anti-fuse circuit to a second programming voltage from a programming logic circuit to create a current path through a gate oxide layer between the first and second conductive plates; and operating the anti-fuse circuit by coupling the first conductive plate to a reference voltage through a bias network. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A method for operating a memory device comprising:
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programming an anti-fuse circuit in a bank of anti-fuse circuits comprising; identifying one of the anti-fuse circuits to be programmed; identifying others of the anti-fuse circuits not to be programmed; coupling a first conductive plate of each of the anti-fuse circuits to a first programming voltage through a contact; coupling a second conductive plate of the anti-fuse circuits not to be programmed to a second programming voltage from a programming logic circuit to preserve a gate oxide layer between the first and second conductive plates; and coupling a second conductive plate of the anti-fuse circuit to be programmed to a third programming voltage from the programming logic circuit to create a current path through a gate oxide layer between the first and second conductive plates of the anti-fuse circuit to be programmed; and operating the anti-fuse circuits in the bank of anti-fuse circuits by coupling the first conductive plate of each of the anti-fuse circuits to a reference voltage through a bias network. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A method for operating an anti-fuse circuit comprising:
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programming the anti-fuse circuit, the programming comprising; a step for coupling a first conductive plate of the anti-fuse circuit to a first programming voltage through a contact; a step for coupling a second conductive plate of the anti-fuse circuit to a second programming voltage from a programming logic circuit to create a current path through a gate oxide layer between the first and second conductive plates; and a step for coupling the first conductive plate to a reference voltage through a bias network.
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15. A memory device comprising:
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an array of memory cells; an address decoder coupled to the array and coupled to address inputs to decode addresses provided on the address inputs to access memory cells in the array corresponding to the addresses, the address decoder comprising; a bank of anti-fuse circuits, each anti-fuse circuit comprising a layer of gate oxide between a first conductive plate and a second conductive plate; a contact coupled to the first conductive plate of each of the anti-fuse circuits to couple a first programming voltage to the first conductive plates; a programming logic circuit coupled to the second conductive plates of each of the anti-fuse circuits to couple the second conductive plate of anti-fuse circuits not to be programmed to a second programming voltage to preserve the gate oxide in the anti-fuse circuits not to be programmed and to couple the second conductive plate of an anti-fuse circuit to be programmed to a third programming voltage to create a current path through the gate oxide between the first and second conductive plates of the anti-fuse circuit to be programmed; and a bias network coupled between a reference voltage and the first conductive plates of the anti-fuse circuits. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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Specification