Methods for fabricating fuses for use in semiconductor devices and semiconductor devices including such fuses
First Claim
1. A method for fabricating a fuse of a semiconductor device, comprising:
- imparting first regions of a semiconductor substrate with a first conductivity type;
imparting second regions of the semiconductor substrate with a second conductivity type, each second region of the second regions being located adjacent to or at least partially surrounded by a corresponding first region of the first regions following imparting first regions and imparting second regions;
forming a layer comprising metal silicide over the first regions and the second regions; and
forming the fuse from the layer, including at least two terminal regions that are each positioned adjacent to a corresponding one of the first and second regions and a narrowed region between the at least two terminal regions and located over a boundary between the first and second regions.
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Abstract
A metal silicide fuse for a semiconductor device. The fuse includes a conductive region positioned adjacent a common well of a first conductivity type, a terminal region positioned adjacent a well of a second conductivity type, and a narrowed region located between the terminal region and the conductive region and positioned adjacent a boundary between the two wells. Upon applying at least a programming current to the fuse, the fuse “blows” at the narrowed region. The diode or diodes between wells of different conductivity types wells and the Schottky diode or diodes between the remaining portions of the fuse and wells adjacent thereto control the flow of current through the remainder of the fuse and through the associated wells of the semiconductor device. When the fuse has been “blown,” the diodes and Schottky diodes prevent current of a normal operating voltage from flowing through the wells of the semiconductor device.
94 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method for fabricating a fuse of a semiconductor device, comprising:
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imparting first regions of a semiconductor substrate with a first conductivity type; imparting second regions of the semiconductor substrate with a second conductivity type, each second region of the second regions being located adjacent to or at least partially surrounded by a corresponding first region of the first regions following imparting first regions and imparting second regions; forming a layer comprising metal silicide over the first regions and the second regions; and forming the fuse from the layer, including at least two terminal regions that are each positioned adjacent to a corresponding one of the first and second regions and a narrowed region between the at least two terminal regions and located over a boundary between the first and second regions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for fabricating a fuse of a semiconductor device, comprising:
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forming at least one first well of a first conductivity type in a semiconductor substrate, adjacent to a surface thereof; forming at least one second well of a second conductivity type within or laterally adjacent to the at least one first well and adjacent to the surface; and forming at least one fusible element including a fusible region over the surface, the fusible region overlapping a boundary between the at least one first well and the at least one second well and contacting the surface at least at the boundary. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification