Antifuse structure and method of use
First Claim
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1. An antifuse comprising:
- a well of a first conductivity type in a substrate of a second conductivity type;
a first conductive terminal of the second conductivity type; and
an insulator between the well and the first conductive terminal.
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Abstract
An antifuse structure and method of use are disclosed. According to one embodiment of the present invention a first programming voltage is coupled to a well of a first conductivity type in a substrate of a second conductivity type in an antifuse. A second programming voltage is coupled to a conductive terminal of the second conductivity type in the antifuse to create a current path through an insulator between the conductive terminal and the well to program the antifuse. The first programming voltage may be coupled to an ohmic contact in the well in the antifuse.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. An antifuse comprising:
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a well of a first conductivity type in a substrate of a second conductivity type;
a first conductive terminal of the second conductivity type; and
an insulator between the well and the first conductive terminal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
the substrate comprises a p-type silicon substrate;
the well comprises a n-type well in the substrate;
the ohmic contact comprises an n+-type diffusion region;
the insulator comprises a layer of oxide; and
the first conductive terminal comprises a layer of p-type polysilicon.
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4. The antifuse of claim 2 wherein:
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the substrate comprises a n-type silicon substrate;
the well comprises a p-type well in the substrate;
the ohmic contact comprises an p+-type diffusion region;
the insulator comprises a layer of oxide; and
the first conductive terminal comprises a layer of n-type polysilicon.
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5. An integrated circuit comprising:
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a first circuit;
a second circuit; and
an antifuse coupled between the first circuit and the second circuit, the antifuse comprising;
a well of a first conductivity type in a substrate of a second conductivity type;
a first conductivity terminal of the second conductivity type; and
an insulator between the well and the first conductivity terminal. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
the substrate comprises a p-type silicon substrate;
the well comprises an n-type well in the substrate;
the ohmic contact comprises an n+-type diffusion region;
the insulator comprises a layer of oxide;
the first conductive terminal comprises a layer of p-type polysilicon;
the first circuit comprises a programming logic circuit; and
the second circuit comprises an external pin and a bias circuit.
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8. The integrated circuit of claim 6 wherein:
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the substrate comprises a n-type silicon substrate;
the well comprises an p-type well in the substrate;
the ohmic contact comprises an p+-type diffusion region;
the insulator comprises a layer of oxide;
the first conductive terminal comprises a layer of n-type polysilicon;
the first circuit comprises a programming logic circuit; and
the second circuit comprises an external pin and a bias circuit.
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9. The integrated circuit of claim 5 wherein the integrated circuit comprises a memory device and further comprises an array of memory cells, an address decoder, a plurality of input/output paths, and an input/output control circuit.
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10. An integrated circuit comprising:
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a programming logic circuit;
an external pin; and
a plurality of antifuses, each antifuse comprising;
a well of a first conductivity type in a substrate of a second conductivity type, the well being coupled to the external pin;
a first conductive terminal of the second conductivity type coupled to the programming logic circuit; and
an insulator between the well and the first conductive terminal. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
the substrate comprises a p-type silicon substrate;
the well comprises an n-type well in the substrate;
the ohmic contact comprises an n+-type diffusion region;
the insulator comprises a layer of oxide; and
the first conductive terminal comprises a layer of p-type polysilicon.
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13. The integrated circuit of claim 11 wherein:
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the substrate comprises a n-type silicon substrate;
the well comprises an p-type well in the substrate;
the ohmic contact comprises an p+-type diffusion region;
the insulator comprises a layer of oxide; and
the first conductive terminal comprises a layer of n-type polysilicon.
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14. The integrated circuit of claim 10 wherein the integrated circuit comprises a memory device and further comprises an array of memory cells, an address decoder, a plurality of input/output paths, and an input/output control circuit.
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15. An antifuse bank comprising:
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a programming logic circuit;
an external pin; and
a plurality of antifuses, each antifuse comprising;
a well of a first conductivity type in a substrate of a second conductivity type, the well being coupled to the external pin;
a first conductive terminal of the second conductivity type coupled to the programming logic circuit; and
an insulator between the well and the first conductive terminal. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
the substrate comprises a p-type silicon substrate;
the well comprises an n-type well in the substrate;
the ohmic contact comprises an n+-type diffusion region;
the insulator comprises a layer of oxide; and
the first conductive terminal comprises a layer of p-type polysilicon.
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18. The antifuse bank of claim 16 wherein:
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the substrate comprises a n-type silicon substrate;
the well comprises an p-type well in the substrate;
the ohmic contact comprises an p+-type diffusion region;
the insulator comprises a layer of oxide; and
the first conductive terminal comprises a layer of n-type polysilicon.
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19. A method comprising:
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coupling a first programming voltage to a well of a first conductivity type in a substrate of a second conductivity type in an antifuse; and
coupling a second programming voltage to a conductive terminal of the second conductivity type in the antifuse to create a current path through an insulator between the conductive terminal and the well to program the antifuse. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
coupling a first programming voltage comprises coupling a very high positive voltage to an n+-type diffusion region in an n-type well in a p-type substrate in an antifuse; and
coupling a second programming voltage comprises coupling a ground voltage reference to a layer of p-type polysilicon in the antifuse to create a current path through an insulating layer of oxide between the layer of p-type polysilicon and the n-type well to program the antifuse.
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22. The method of claim 20 wherein:
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coupling a first programming voltage comprises coupling a very negative positive voltage to a p+-type diffusion region in an p-type well in a n-type substrate in an antifuse; and
coupling a second programming voltage comprises coupling a supply voltage to a layer of n-type polysilicon in the antifuse to create a current path through an insulating layer of oxide between the layer of n-type polysilicon and the p-type well to program the antifuse.
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23. A method of operating an integrated circuit comprising:
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selecting an antifuse coupled between a first circuit and a second circuit in an integrated circuit;
coupling a first programming voltage to a well of a conductivity type in a substrate of a second conductivity type in the selected antifuse; and
coupling a second programming voltage to a conductive terminal of the second conductivity type in the selected antifuse to create a current path through an insulator between the conductive terminal and the well to program the selected antifuse. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
selecting an antifuse comprises selecting an antifuse from a plurality of antifuses coupled between a programming logic circuit and an external pin coupled to a bias circuit in the integrated circuit;
coupling a first programming voltage comprises a very high positive voltage to the external pin that is coupled to an n+-type diffusion region in an n-type well in a p-type substrate in the selected antifuse; and
coupling a second programming voltage comprises a ground voltage reference from the programming logic circuit to a layer of p-type polysilicon in the selected antifuse to create a current path through an insulating layer of oxide between the layer of p-type polysilicon and then n-type well to program the selected antifuse.
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26. The method of claim 24 wherein:
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selecting an antifuse comprises selecting an antifuse from a plurality of antifuses coupled between a programming logic circuit and an external pin coupled to a bias circuit in the integrated circuit;
coupling a first programming voltage comprises a very negative voltage to the external pin that is coupled to an p+-type diffusion region in an p-type well in a p-type substrate in the selected antifuse; and
coupling a second programming voltage comprises a supply voltage from the programming logic circuit to a layer of n-type polysilicon in the selected antifuse to create a current path through an insulating layer of oxide between the layer of n-type polysilicon and then p-type well to program the selected antifuse.
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27. A method of operating an integrated circuit comprising:
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selecting an antifuse coupled between a first circuit and a second circuit in an integrated circuit;
coupling a first programming voltage to a well of a conductivity type in a substrate of a second conductivity type in the selected antifuse; and
coupling a second programming voltage to a conductive terminal of the second conductivity type in the selected antifuse to create a current path through an insulator between the conductive terminal and the well to program the selected antifuse. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
selecting an antifuse comprises selecting an antifuse from a plurality of antifuses coupled between a programming logic circuit and an external pin coupled to a bias circuit in the integrated circuit;
coupling a first programming voltage comprises a very high positive voltage to the external pin that is coupled to an n+-type diffusion region in an n-type well in a p-type substrate in the selected antifuse; and
coupling a second programming voltage comprises a ground voltage reference from the programming logic circuit to a layer of p-type polysilicon in the selected antifuse to create a current path through an insulating layer of oxide between the layer of p-type polysilicon and then n-type well to program the selected antifuse.
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30. The method of claim 28 wherein:
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selecting an antifuse comprises selecting an antifuse from a plurality of antifuses coupled between a programming logic circuit and an external pin coupled to a bias circuit in the integrated circuit;
coupling a first programming voltage comprises a very negative voltage to the external pin that is coupled to an p+-type diffusion region in an p-type well in a n-type substrate in the selected antifuse; and
coupling a second programming voltage comprises a supply voltage from the programming logic circuit to a layer of n-type polysilicon in the selected antifuse to create a current path through an insulating layer of oxide between the layer of n-type polysilicon and then p-type well to program the selected antifuse.
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31. A method comprising:
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selecting circuits in a system to be coupled together;
programming an antifuse in the system to couple two or more of the selected circuits together, comprising;
coupling a first programming voltage to a well of a first conductivity type in a substrate of a second conductivity type in an antifuse; and
coupling a second programming voltage to a conductive terminal of the second conductivity type in the antifuse to create a current path through an insulator between the conductive terminal and the well to program the antifuse. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
coupling a first programming voltage comprises coupling a very high positive voltage to an n+-type diffusion region in an n-type well in a p-type substrate in an antifuse; and
coupling a second programming voltage comprises coupling a ground voltage reference to a layer of p-type polysilicon in the antifuse to create a current path through an insulating layer of oxide between the layer of p-type polysilicon and the n-type well to program the antifuse.
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34. The method of claim 32 wherein:
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coupling a first programming voltage comprises coupling a very negative positive voltage to a p+-type diffusion region in an p-type well in a n-type substrate in an antifuse; and
coupling a second programming voltage comprises coupling a supply voltage to a layer of n-type polysilicon in the antifuse to create a current path through an insulating layer of oxide between the layer of n-type polysilicon and the p-type well to program the antifuse.
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35. A method of forming an antifuse comprising:
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forming a well of a first conductivity type in a substrate of a second conductivity type;
forming an insulator over the well; and
forming a first conductive terminal of the second conductivity type over the insulator. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
forming a well comprises forming an n-type well in a p-type silicon substrate and further comprises;
forming an n+-type drain diffusion in the well;
forming an n+-type source diffusion in the well;
forming an insulator comprises forming a layer of oxide over the well between the drain diffusion region and the source diffusion region; and
forming a first conductive terminal comprises forming a p-type polysilicon gate electrode over the layer of oxide.
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38. The method of claim 35 wherein:
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forming a well comprises forming an p-type well in a n-type silicon substrate and further comprises;
forming an p+-type drain diffusion in the well;
forming an p+-type source diffusion in the well;
forming an insulator comprises forming a layer of oxide over the well between the drain diffusion region and the source diffusion region; and
forming a first conductive terminal comprises forming a n-type polysilicon gate electrode over the layer of oxide.
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Specification