Integrated circuit device featuring an antifuse and method of making same

• US 9,502,424 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2012
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Zhongze, Zhu, John Jianhong, Li, Xia
• Primary Examiner(s): Islam, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIU, MIKKA H
• Application Number:
  US13/684,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20140001568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 17/16 using electrically-fusible links
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 17/165 Memory cells which are electrically programmed to cause a change in resistance, e.g. to permit multiple resistance steps to be programmed rather than conduct to or from non-conduct change of fuses and antifuses digital stores using resistance random access memory elements G11C13/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5228 Resistive arrangements or effects of, or between, wiring layers other resistive arrangements H01L23/647
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5252 comprising anti-fuses, i.e. connections having their state changed from non-conductive to conductive
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 28/24 with an active material comprising a refractory, transition or noble metal, metal compound or metal alloy, e.g. silicides, oxides, nitrides
• 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: H10B 20/20 Programmable ROM [PROM] devices comprising field-effect components H10B20/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 20/60 Peripheral circuit regions
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

One feature pertains to an integrated circuit, comprising an access transistor and an antifuse. The access transistor includes at least one source/drain region, and the antifuse has a conductor-insulator-conductor structure. The antifuse includes a first conductor that acts as a first electrode, and also includes an antifuse dielectric, and a second conductor. A first surface of the first electrode is coupled to a first surface of the antifuse dielectric, a second surface of the antifuse dielectric is coupled to a first surface of the second conductor. The second conductor is electrically coupled to the access transistor'"'"'s source/drain region. The antifuse is adapted to transition from an open circuit state to a closed circuit state if a programming voltage V_pp greater than or equal to an antifuse dielectric breakdown voltage is applied between the first electrode and the second conductor.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit, comprising:

an access transistor including at least one of a source region and a drain region; and

an antifuse having a conductor-insulator-conductor structure, the antifuse including a first electrode, an antifuse dielectric, and a second electrode, wherein a first surface of the first electrode is coupled to a first surface of the antifuse dielectric, a second surface of the antifuse dielectric is coupled to a first surface of the second electrode, and a distinct conductor is electrically coupled between each of

a second surface of the first electrode and a via, and

a second surface of the second electrode and the at least one of the access transistor'"'"'s source region and drain region;

wherein a first electrode width of the first electrode and a second electrode width of the second electrode is each greater than a distinct conductor width of the respective distinct conductor.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the antifuse is adapted to transition from an open circuit state to a closed circuit state if a programming voltage Vpp greater than or equal to an antifuse dielectric breakdown voltage is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 2, wherein the programming voltage Vpp is approximately equal to an input/output (I/O) voltage VI/O of the integrated circuit.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 2, wherein the antifuse dielectric has a thickness t, and increasing t increases the antifuse dielectric breakdown voltage.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 2, wherein the access transistor further includes a gate, a gate dielectric having a gate dielectric breakdown voltage, and a body, the gate dielectric interposed between the gate and the body, and the antifuse dielectric breakdown voltage is less than the gate dielectric breakdown voltage.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 5, wherein the gate dielectric and the antifuse dielectric are made of at least one different dielectric material.

7. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the antifuse is positioned, at least in part, above the at least one of the access transistor'"'"'s source region and drain region.

8. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the antifuse is positioned, at least in part, in a same vertical plane as the at least one of the access transistor'"'"'s source region and drain region.

9. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the second electrode is a metal electrode and the respective distinct conductor is a metal source/drain contact coupled to the at least one of the access transistor'"'"'s source region and drain region.

10. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the access transistor'"'"'s source region and drain region is the drain region and the antifuse is positioned, at least in part, in a same vertical plane as the drain region.

11. The integrated circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a metal trace layer providing a shared memory bit line for a drain of each of two access transistors having adjacent wordlines; and

another metal trace layer providing a distinct select line for each of the two access transistors having adjacent wordlines, the select lines being electrically coupled to the respective distinct conductor of the antifuse through the via.

12. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first electrode, the antifuse dielectric, and/or the second electrode has at least one of a substantially planar and rectangular cuboid shapes.

13. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first electrode lies, at least in part, in a same horizontal plane as a resistor of the integrated circuit.

14. The integrated circuit of claim 13, wherein the first electrode and the resistor are made of a same material.

15. The integrated circuit of claim 13, wherein the antifuse dielectric lies, at least in part, in a same horizontal plane as a dielectric support positioned underneath the resistor, the antifuse dielectric and the dielectric support made of a same dielectric material.

16. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit is a one-time programmable (OTP) memory cell.

17. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit is a multi-time programmable (MTP) memory cell.

18. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit is incorporated into at least one of a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a communications device, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant, a fixed location terminal, a tablet computer, and a laptop computer.

19. A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit, the method comprising:

providing a substrate;

forming an access transistor including at least one of a source region and drain region in the substrate;

providing a first electrode;

providing an antifuse dielectric;

providing a second electrode;

providing a plurality of distinct conductors;

forming an antifuse by

coupling a first surface of the first electrode to a first surface of the antifuse dielectric, and

coupling a second surface of the antifuse dielectric to a first surface of the second electrode; and

electrically coupling one each of the distinct conductors between a second surface of the first electrode and a via and a second surface of the second electrode and the at least one of the access transistor'"'"'s source region and drain region;

wherein a first electrode width of the first electrode and a second electrode width of the second electrode is greater than a distinct conductor width of the respective distinct conductor.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

sharing a mask to provide the first electrode and a resistor, wherein the resistor and the first electrode are made of a same material.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the antifuse is adapted to transition from an open circuit state to a closed circuit state if a programming voltage Vpp greater than or equal to an antifuse dielectric breakdown voltage is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the programming voltage Vpp is approximately equal to an input/output (I/O) voltage VI/O of the integrated circuit.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the access transistor further includes a gate, a gate dielectric having a gate dielectric breakdown voltage, and a body, the method further comprising:

interposing the gate dielectric between the gate and the body, the antifuse dielectric breakdown voltage being less than the gate dielectric breakdown voltage.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the gate dielectric and the antifuse dielectric are made of at least one different dielectric material.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

positioning the antifuse, at least in part, above the at least one of the access transistor'"'"'s source region and drain region.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

positioning the antifuse, at least in part, in a same vertical plane as the at least one of the access transistor'"'"'s source region and drain region.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein each of the distinct conductors is a metal source/drain contact, the method further comprising:

coupling the metal source/drain contact to the at least one of the access transistor'"'"'s source region and drain region.

28. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

electrically coupling the second surface of the second electrode to the at least one of the access transistor'"'"'s source region and drain region.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of the first electrode, the antifuse dielectric, and the second electrode has at least one of a substantially planar or rectangular cuboid shape.

30. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

forming a resistor; and

positioning the first electrode, at least in part, in a same horizontal plane as the resistor of the integrated circuit.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

forming the first electrode and the resistor using a same material.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

forming a dielectric support underneath the resistor; and

positioning the antifuse dielectric, at least in part, in a same horizontal plane as the dielectric support, the antifuse dielectric and the dielectric support made of a same dielectric material.

33. The method of claim 19, wherein the integrated circuit is a one-time programmable (OTP) memory cell.

34. An integrated circuit, comprising:

an access transistor including at least one of a source region and a drain region; and

an antifuse having a conductor-insulator-conductor structure, wherein a first surface of a first means for conducting is coupled to a first surface of a means for insulating, a second surface of the means for insulating is coupled to a first surface of a second means for conducting, and a third means for conducting having a first portion that is electrically coupled between

a second surface of the first means for conducting and a via, and

a second portion that is electrically coupled between a second surface of the second means for conducting and the at least one of the access transistor'"'"'s source region and drain region;

wherein the first and second portions of the third means for conducting are distinct from the second means for conducting and each has conductive widths that are less than a respective conductive width of the second means for conducting.

35. The integrated circuit of claim 34, wherein the antifuse is adapted to transition from an open circuit state to a closed circuit state if a programming voltage Vpp greater than or equal to a breakdown voltage of the means for insulating is applied between the first means for conducting and the second means for conducting.

36. The integrated circuit of claim 35, wherein the programming voltage Vpp is approximately equal to an input/output (I/O) voltage VI/O of the integrated circuit.

37. The integrated circuit of claim 35, wherein the access transistor further includes a gate, a gate dielectric having a gate dielectric breakdown voltage, and a body, the gate dielectric interposed between the gate and the body, and the breakdown voltage of the means for insulating is less than the gate dielectric breakdown voltage.

38. The integrated circuit of claim 37, wherein the gate dielectric and the means for insulating are made of at least one different dielectric material.

39. The integrated circuit of claim 34, wherein the antifuse is positioned, at least in part, above the at least one of the access transistor'"'"'s source region and drain region.

40. The integrated circuit of claim 34, wherein the second means for conducting is a metal electrode and the third means for conducting is a metal source/drain contact coupled to the at least one of the access transistor'"'"'s source region and drain region.

41. The integrated circuit of claim 34, wherein the at least one of the access transistor'"'"'s source region and drain region is the drain region and the antifuse is positioned, at least in part, in a same vertical plane as the drain region.

42. The integrated circuit of claim 34, wherein at least one of the first means for conducting, the means for insulating, and/or the second means for conducting has at least one of a substantially planar and rectangular cuboid shapes.

43. The integrated circuit of claim 34, wherein the first means for conducting lies, at least in part, in a same horizontal plane as a resistor of the integrated circuit, the first means for conducting and the resistor being made of a same material.