Method of using hot-carrier-injection degradation as a programmable fuse/switch

1. A method of providing nonvolatile storage with a programmable transistor, comprising:

receiving a data value to be stored in the programmable transistor; and

programming the programmable transistor to store the received data value, wherein programming comprises:

exposing the programmable transistor to a predefined programming temperature while applying the selected voltage; and

applying a selected voltage to the programmable transistor, wherein the selected voltage is selected to inject carriers into a gate oxide layer of the programmable transistor while the programmable transistor is exposed to the predefined programming temperature, wherein the carriers are maintained in the gate oxide layer of the programmable transistor in the absence of the selected voltage, thereby programming the programmable transistor with the received data value;

performing a read operation from the programmable transistor, wherein the read operation comprises:

applying one or more read voltages to the programmable transistor and a reference transistor; and

comparing at least one operating characteristic of the programmable transistor and at least one operating characteristic of the reference transistor to determine if the programmable transistor is programmed; wherein the at least one operating characteristic is selected from:

a lower drain-to-source current of the programmable transistor relative to a drain-to-source current of the reference transistor; and

a higher subthreshold current of the programmable transistor relative to a subthreshold current of the reference transistor.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

performing an erase operation for the programmable transistor, wherein the erase operation comprises exposing the programmable transistor to a predefined erase temperature for a selected time period, wherein the predefined erase temperature and the selected time period are selected to cause the carriers injected into the gate oxide layer to migrate out of the gate oxide layer.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

performing an erase operation for the programmable transistor, wherein the erase operation comprises applying selected erase voltage while exposing the programmable transistor to heat at a selected erase temperature, wherein the selected erase temperature and the selected erase voltage are selected to cause the carriers injected into the gate oxide layer to migrate out of the gate oxide layer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the programmable transistor is part of an integrated circuit that includes a heating element and wherein exposing the programmable transistor to the predefined programming temperature comprises applying a voltage to the heating element to cause the heating element to radiate heat at the predefined programming temperature.

5. An integrated circuit device, comprising:

a programmable transistor; and

circuitry configured to:

receive a data value to be stored in the programmable transistor; and

program the programmable transistor to store the received data value, wherein programming comprises:

applying a selected voltage to the programmable transistor while the programmable transistor is exposed to a predefined programming temperature, wherein the selected voltage and the predefined programming temperature are selected to inject carriers into a gate oxide layer of the programmable transistor, wherein the carriers are maintained in the gate oxide layer of the programmable transistor in the absence of the selected voltage, thereby programming the programmable transistor with the received data value; and

perform a read operation from the programmable transistor, wherein the read operation comprises:

applying one or more read voltages to the programmable transistor and a reference transistor; and

comparing at least one operating characteristic of the programmable transistor and at least one operating characteristic of the reference transistor to determine if the programmable transistor is programmed; wherein the at least one operating characteristic is selected from:

a lower drain-to-source current of the programmable transistor relative to a drain-to-source current of the reference transistor; and

a higher subthreshold current of the programmable transistor relative to a subthreshold current of the reference transistor.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

perform an erase operation for the programmable transistor, wherein the erase operation comprises exposing the programmable transistor to a predefined erase temperature for a selected time period, wherein the predefined erase temperature and the selected time period are selected to cause the carriers injected into the gate oxide layer to migrate out of the gate oxide layer.

7. The device of claim 5 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

perform an erase operation for the programmable transistor, wherein the erase operation comprises applying a selected erase voltage to the programmable transistor and exposing the programmable transistor to a predefined erase temperature, wherein the predefined erase temperature and the selected erase voltage are selected to cause the carriers injected into the gate oxide layer to migrate out of the gate oxide layer.

8. The device of claim 5 , further comprising a heating element; wherein exposing the programmable transistor to the predefined programming temperature comprises applying a voltage to the heating element to cause the heating element to radiate heat at the predefined programming temperature.

9. A test system, comprising:

a test device; and

an integrated circuit device, comprising:

a programmable transistor; and

circuitry configured to:

receive a data value to be stored in the programmable transistor from the test device; and

program the programmable transistor to store the received data value, wherein programming comprises:

applying a selected voltage to the programmable transistor while the programmable transistor is exposed to a predefined programming temperature, wherein the selected voltage and the predefined programming temperature are selected to inject carriers into a gate oxide layer of the programmable transistor, wherein the carriers are maintained in the gate oxide layer of the programmable transistor in the absence of the selected voltage, thereby programming the programmable transistor with the received data value; and

perform a read operation from the programmable transistor, wherein the read operation comprises:

applying one or more read voltages to the programmable transistor and a reference transistor; and

comparing at least one operating characteristic of the programmable transistor and at least one operating characteristic of the reference transistor to determine if the programmable transistor is programmed; wherein the at least one operating characteristic is selected from:

 a lower drain-to-source current of the programmable transistor relative to a drain-to-source current of the reference transistor; and

 a higher subthreshold current of the programmable transistor relative to a subthreshold current of the reference transistor.

10. The test system of claim 7 , wherein the programmable transistor is one of a plurality of programmable transistors configured to provide nonvolatile storage for test results obtained from the test device.

11. The test system of claim 7 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

perform an erase operation for the programmable transistor, wherein the erase operation comprises exposing the programmable transistor to a predefined erase temperature for a selected time period, wherein the predefined erase temperature and the selected time period are selected to cause the carriers injected into the gate oxide layer to migrate out of the gate oxide layer.

12. The test system of claim 9 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

perform an erase operation for the programmable transistor, wherein the erase operation comprises applying a selected erase voltage to the programmable transistor and exposing the programmable transistor to a predefined erase temperature, wherein the predefined erase temperature and the selected erase voltage are selected to cause the carriers injected into the gate oxide layer to migrate out of the gate oxide layer.

13. The test system of claim 9 , wherein the integrated circuit device further comprises a heating element; wherein exposing the programmable transistor to the predefined programming temperature comprises applying a voltage to the heating element to cause the heating element to radiate heat at the predefined programming temperature.