Low current redundancy anti-fuse assembly
US5945840A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 20, 1997 |
| Grant date | Aug 31, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 20, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03K19/1736
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An inventive programmable circuit stores a bit (i.e., a "1"or a "0") as the result of one of a pair of anti-fuses of the circuit connected in series between a supply voltage V.sub.cc and ground V.sub.ss being blown. If the anti-fuse connected to the supply voltage V.sub.cc is blown, the supply voltage V.sub.cc passes through the anti-fuse to a node between the series-connected anti-fuses. If, instead, the anti-fuse connected to ground V.sub.ss is blown, the node between the anti-fuses is connected to ground through the blown anti-fuse. The voltage on the node (i.e., V.sub.cc or V.sub.ss) may then be output from the programmable circuit as being representative of the bit stored in the circuit. Because only one of the anti-fuses is blown, no direct path exists between the supply voltage V.sub.cc and ground V.sub.ss, so the programmable circuit does not waste current as prior circuits are known to do. The programmable circuit is particularly useful in storing the memory addresses of memory cells in a memory device that are to be replaced by redundant cells.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.