Inductive fuse for semiconductor device

• US 6,335,229 B1
• Filed: 10/13/1999
• Issued: 01/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Motsiff, William T., Pricer, Wilbur D., Previti-Kelly, Rosemary A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaudhuri, Olik
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wille, Douglas A.
• Application Number:
  US09/417,289
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 257/529, 257/531, 438/132
• US Class Current: 438/132
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5227 Inductive arrangements or effects of, or between, wiring layers other inductive arrangements H01L23/645
• 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

Abstract

A method and structure for blowing a fuse including removing an insulator above a fuse link and etching the fuse link.

Claims

1. A process for blowing a fuse comprising:

removing an insulator above a fuse link; and

etching said fuse link.

2. The process in claim 1, wherein said etching comprises one of wet etching and dry etching.

3. The process in claim 1, wherein said removing comprises ablating said insulator using light energy.

4. The process in claim 3, wherein said light energy comprises one of a laser and ultra violet light.

5. The process in claim 3, where said light energy is below an energy level required to have an affect on said fuse link.

6. The process in claim 1, further comprising sensing a change in inductance of said fuse.

7. The process in claim 1, wherein said fuse link is isolated from other circuitry.

8. The process in claim 1, wherein said fuse link is insensitive to corrosion.

9. A process for programming an inductive device having a primary turn, a secondary turn and a shorted turn, said process comprising:

removing an insulator above said shorted turn; and

etching said shorted turn.

10. The process in claim 9, wherein said etching comprises one of wet etching and dry etching.

11. The process in claim 9, wherein said removing comprises ablating said insulator using light energy.

12. The process in claim 11, wherein said light energy comprises one of a laser and ultra violet light.

13. The process in claim 11, where said light energy is below an energy level required to have an affect on said shorted turn.

14. The process in claim 9, further comprising sensing a change in an inductance of said inductive device.

15. The process in claim 9, wherein said shorted turn is isolated from other circuitry.

16. The process in claim 9, wherein said shorted turn is insensitive to corrosion.