Electrical fuse with metal line migration

• US 9,548,270 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2015
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Baozhen, Li, Yan Zun, Wong, Keith Kwong Hon, Yang, Chih-Chao
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, BRADLEY
• Application Number:
  US14/854,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20160005690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 438/132
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/326 Application of electric currents or fields, e.g. for electroforming H01L21/20 - H01L21/288 and H01L21/302 - H01L21/324 take precedence
• 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

An electrical fuse device is disclosed. A circuit apparatus can include the fuse device, a first circuit element and a second circuit element. The fuse includes a first contact that has a first electromigration resistance, a second contact that has a second electromigration resistance and a metal line, which is coupled to the first contact and to the second contact, that has a third electromigration resistance that is lower than the second electromigration resistance. The first circuit element is coupled to the first contact and the second circuit element coupled to the second contact. The fuse is configured to conduct a programming current from the first contact to the second contact through the metal line. Further, the programming current causes the metal line to electromigrate away from the second contact to electrically isolate the second circuit element from the first circuit element.

Claims

1. A method for programming an electrical fuse device comprising:

coupling a cathode element comprising tungsten to a contact that is connected to a metal line comprised of copper;

coupling an anode element comprising tungsten to the metal line; and

activating the anode and cathode elements to apply a programming current ranging from 4 mA to 7 mA through the contact and the metal line such that the metal line electromigrates away from the contact forming an electromigration opening portion of the electrical fuse present in the metal line underlying one of the cathode element and the anode element, wherein each of said cathode element and said anode element have a height ranging from 30 nm to 80 nm.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a distance between said anode element and said cathode element ranges from 100 nm to 200 nm.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the contact is a first contact, wherein the coupling the anode element further comprises coupling the anode element to a second contact such that the activating causes the programming current to flow between the second contact and the first contact through the metal line.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the programming current is a first programming current and wherein the method further comprises:

coupling a second cathode element and a second anode element to the metal line, wherein the activating comprises activating the second cathode element and the second anode element to apply a second programming current through the metal line, wherein the first programming current heats the metal line to aid the electromigration of the metal line.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the coupling the second cathode element further comprises coupling the second cathode element to the metal line through a via connected to a separate level of a circuit and wherein the second programming current flows to the separate level through the via.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein a thickness of the metal line between the first and second contacts, from any cross-sectional viewing angle, is constant.