Semiconductor device including a fuse and a transistor coupled to the fuse
A vertical OTP fuse formed in a semiconductor device has a substrate and an insulating layer formed over the substrate with an opening through the insulating layer extending to the substrate. A conductive layer, such as silicide, is formed over a sidewall of the opening. A resistive material, such as polysilicon, is deposited within the opening over the first conductive layer to form a first vertical OTP fuse. A plurality of vertical OTP fuses can be arranged in an array. A PN junction diode or transistor is formed in the substrate aligned with the first vertical OTP fuse. A second conductive layer is formed over the first vertical OTP fuse. The first vertical OTP fuse can be disposed between the second conductive layer and a third conductive layer. A second vertical OTP fuse can be formed over the first vertical OTP fuse for redundancy.
1. A semiconductor device comprising:
a first current source including a terminal;
a second current source including a terminal;
a first fuse including a first terminal and a second terminal; and
a first transistor including a first current-carrying terminal and a control terminal,
wherein:
the first transistor is a bipolar junction transistor,
the terminals of the first and second current sources and the first terminal of the first fuse are coupled to one another, and
the second terminal of the first fuse and the first current-carrying terminal of the first transistor are coupled to each other.
2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second fuse including a first terminal and a second terminal; and
a second transistor including a first current-carrying terminal and a control terminal,
wherein:
the first terminals of the first and second fuses are coupled to each other, and
the second terminal of the second fuse and the first current-carrying terminal of the second transistor are coupled to each other.
3. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second transistor including a first current-carrying terminal and a second current-carrying terminal,
wherein:
the first current-carrying terminal of the second transistor and the terminals of the first and second current sources are coupled to one another, and
the second current-carrying terminal of the second transistor and the first terminal of the first fuse are coupled to each other.
4. The semiconductor device of claim 3 , further comprising:
a third transistor including a first current-carrying terminal and a second current-carrying terminal;
a second fuse including a first terminal and a second terminal; and
a fourth transistor including a first current-carrying terminal and a control terminal,
wherein,
the first current-carrying terminals of the second and third transistors and the terminals of the first and second current sources are coupled to one another,
the second current-carrying terminal of the third transistor and the first terminal of the second fuse are coupled to each other,
the second terminal of the second fuse and the first current-carrying terminal of the fourth transistor are coupled to each other, and
the control terminals of the first and fourth transistors are coupled to each other.
5. The semiconductor device of claim 4 , further comprising an inverter, wherein an output of the inverter is coupled to the control terminals of the first and fourth transistors.
6. The semiconductor device of claim 4 , further comprising:
a fifth transistor including a first current-carrying terminal and a second current-carrying terminal; and
a sixth transistor including a first current-carrying terminal and a second current-carrying terminal,
wherein:
the first current-carrying terminal of the fifth transistor is coupled to the first terminal of the first fuse,
the first current-carrying terminal of the sixth transistor is coupled to the first terminal of the second fuse, and
the second current-carrying terminals of the fifth and sixth transistors are coupled to each other.
7. The semiconductor device of claim 6 , further comprising:
a third fuse including a first terminal and a second terminal; and
a seventh transistor including a first current-carrying terminal and a control terminal,
wherein:
the second current-carrying terminal of the second transistor and the first terminals of the first and third fuses are coupled to one another, and
the second terminal of the third fuse and the first current-carrying terminal of the seventh transistor are coupled to each other.
8. The semiconductor device of claim 7 , further comprising:
a fourth fuse including a first terminal and a second terminal; and
an eighth transistor including a first current-carrying terminal and a control terminal,
wherein:
the second current-carrying terminal of the third transistor and the first terminals of the second and fourth fuses are coupled to one another,
the second terminal of the fourth fuse and the first current-carrying terminal the eighth transistor are coupled to each other, and
the control terminals of the seventh and eighth transistors are coupled to each other.
9. The semiconductor device of claim 8 , wherein:
the second, third, fifth, and sixth transistors are field-effect transistors, and
the fourth, seventh, and eighth transistors are bipolar junction transistors.
10. The semiconductor device of claim 9 , wherein second current-carrying terminals of the first, fourth, seventh, and eighth transistors are coupled to a power supply terminal.
11. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the first fuse is a vertical one-time programmable fuse that overlies the first current-carrying terminal of the first transistor.
12. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first fuse comprises a vertical one-time-programmable fuse including:
a conductive layer along a sidewall of an opening within an insulating layer; and
a resistive material within the opening over the conductive layer, wherein the resistive material has a resistivity 10 times or greater than the conductive layer, and
the first and second fuses lie at different elevations.
13. A semiconductor device comprising:
a first fuse including a first terminal and a second terminal;
a second fuse including a first terminal and a second terminal; and
a first transistor including a first current-carrying terminal and a second current-carrying terminal;
a second transistor including a first current-carrying terminal and a second current-carrying terminal; and
a third transistor including a first current-carrying, terminal and a second current-carrying terminal,
wherein:
the first and second fuses are a pair of redundant fuses,
the second terminals of the first and second fuses and the first current-carrying terminal of the first transistor are coupled to each other,
the first current-carrying terminals of the second and third transistors are coupled to each other,
the second current-carrying terminal of the second transistor and the first terminal of the first fuse are coupled to each other, and
the second current-carrying terminal of the third transistor and the first terminal of the second fuse are coupled to each other.
14. The semiconductor device of claim 13 , further comprising a third fuse including a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminals of the first and third fuses are coupled to each other.
15. The semiconductor device of claim 14 , further comprising:
a fourth fuse including a first terminal and a second terminal; and
a fourth transistor including a first current-carrying terminal and a second current-carrying terminal,
the third and fourth fuses are a pair of redundant fuses, and
the second terminals of the third and fourth fuses and the first current-carrying terminal of the fourth transistor are coupled to each other.
16. The semiconductor device of claim 15 , further comprising:
a fifth transistor including a first current-carrying terminal and a second current-carrying terminal,
wherein:
the first current-carrying terminals of the third and fifth transistors are coupled to one another, and
the second current-carrying terminal of the fifth transistor and the first terminal of the fourth fuse are coupled to each other.
17. The semiconductor device of claim 13 , further comprising a current source coupled to the first current-carrying terminals of the second and third transistors.
18. A semiconductor device comprising:
a first fuse including a first terminal and a second terminal;
a second fuse including a first terminal and a second terminal;
a first transistor including a first current-carrying terminal; and
a second transistor including a current-carrying terminal,
wherein:
the second terminal of the first fuse and the first terminal of the second fuse are electrically connected to each other at a node,
the first current-carrying terminal of the first transistor and the first terminal of the first fuse are coupled to each other,
the current-carrying terminal of the second transistor and the second terminal of the second fuse are counted to each other, and
before the first fuse is blown and before the second fuse is blown, the semiconductor device is configured such that a current can flow through the first transistor, the first fuse, the second fuse, and the second transistor during at least a same point in time.
19. The semiconductor device of claim 18 , further comprising a third transistor including a current-carrying terminal, wherein the current-carrying terminal of the third transistor and the first terminal of the first fuse are coupled to one another.
20. The semiconductor device of claim 18 , further comprising a current source coupled to a second current-carrying terminal of the first transistor, wherein along a conduction path:
the current source is closer to the first transistor than each of the first fuse, the second fuse, and the second transistor, and
the current source is farther from the second transistor than each of the first transistor, the first fuse, the second fuse.