Patent · US Expired

Integrated circuit with programmable fuse array

US6876594B2 · kind B2 · utility

28Cited by
4References
61Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 19, 2003
Grant dateApr 5, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 19, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C2216/26
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An integrated circuit (IC). The integrated circuit comprises an array (14) of data cells arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns. Each of the data cells comprises an electrically programmable fuse (40), and each electrically programmable fuse comprises a current path for providing a first digital state when the current path is left intact and for providing a second digital state when the current path is destroyed. Each row of the plurality of rows comprises at least one cell reserved for providing a protection indicator for the row, wherein the protection indicator is selected from a set consisting of read protection and write protection. The integrated circuit also comprises control circuitry (12) for selectively destroying the programmable fuse in selected ones of the data cells in a programmation mode. The integrated circuit also comprises control circuitry (12) for reading selected ones of the data cells in a read mode.

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