Corrosion insensitive fusible link using capacitance sensing for semiconductor devices

• US 6,496,053 B1
• Filed: 10/13/1999
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pricer, W David, Rankin, Jed H., Motsiff, William T., Daubenspeck, Timothy, Klaasen, William A., Kimmel, Kurt R., Previti-Kelly, Rosemary A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Graybill, David E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MITCHELL, JAMES M
• Application Number:
  US09/416,977
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 257/529, 257/532, 257/516, 257/173, 257/665, 257/910, 257/530, 361/628, 361/630, 438/132, 438/215, 438/467
• US Class Current: 327/525
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5258 the change of state resulting from the use of an external beam, e.g. laser beam or ion beam
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 28/40 Capacitors
• 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: Y10S 257/91 Diode arrays, e.g. diode read-only memory array

Abstract

A structure and method for a programming device or a fuse includes a capacitive circuit having a capacitance which is alterable. The capacitive circuit can include a first capacitor, a fuse link connected to the first capacitor and a second capacitor connected to the fuse link, wherein removing a portion of the fuse link changes the capacitance.

Claims

1. A programming device comprising:

a first capacitor;

a fuse link connected to said first capacitor;

a second capacitor connected to said fuse link, wherein removing at least a portion of said fuse link changes a capacitance of said device; and

a sensing circuit operatively connected to said first capacitor and said second capacitor, said sensing circuit being adapted to detect a change in said capacitance.

2. The device in claim 1, wherein said first capacitor includes a first top plate and said second capacitor includes a second top plate,

wherein said first top plate, said second top plate and said fuse link are positioned in one planar conductive level within said device.

3. The device in claim 1, further comprising an insulator over said fuse link, said fuse link having a length greater than a width of a region formed by said insulator being opened with an energy light source.

4. The device in claim 1, wherein said first capacitor and said second capacitor comprise stacked capacitors.

5. The device in claim 1, wherein said first capacitor and said second capacitor comprise inter-digitated capacitors.

6. The device in claim 1, wherein said first capacitor and said second capacitor comprise parallel spiral patterned capacitors.