Patent · US Expired

Low power programmable fuse structures and methods for making the same

US5882998A · kind A · utility

59Cited by
9References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 3, 1998
Grant dateMar 16, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 3, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L2924/3011
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Disclosed is a semiconductor fuse structure having a low power programming threshold and anti-reverse engineering characteristics. The fuse structure includes a substrate having a field oxide region. A polysilicon strip that has an increased dopant concentration region lies over the field oxide region. The fuse structure further includes a silicided metallization layer having first and second regions lying over the polysilicon strip. The first region has a first thickness, and the second region has a second thickness that is less than the first thickness and is positioned substantially over the increased dopant concentration region of the polysilicon strip. Preferably, the first region of the silicided metallization layer has a first side and a second side located on opposite sides of the second region, and the resulting fuse structure is substantially rectangular in shape. Therefore, the semiconductor fuse structure can be programmed by breaking the second region.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.