Fuse link structures using film stress for programming and methods of manufacture

1. A method of forming a programmable fuse structure, comprising:

removing at least a portion of an STI under an e-fuse to provide an air gap below a portion of the e-fuse; and

removing at least a portion of a ILD layer over the e-fuse to provide the air gap above the portion of the e-fuse.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the e-fuse is formed from a material having a different coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) than a material of an underlying substrate.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a metal layer above the ILD layer and contacts in the ILD layer electrically connecting the metal layer and the e-fuse.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising providing mechanical anchors for ends of the e-fuse to assist mechanical rupture programming and the mechanical anchors comprise portions of the ILD layer.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the mechanical anchors comprise the contacts.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

depositing a cap layer over the metal layer;

etching an opening in the cap layer;

etching at least a portion of the ILD layer through the opening to remove at least the portion of the ILD layer over the e-fuse; and

etching at least a portion of the at least one STI through the opening to remove at least the portion of the at least one STI under the e-fuse.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising depositing a dielectric layer over the cap layer and the opening in the cap layer, wherein the dielectric layer comprises at least one of silicon dioxide, silicon carbide, a low-K material, and an ultra-low-K material.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a mechanical hard layer in the at least one STI to absorb stress relaxation resulting from fuse programming.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a plateau in a substrate upon which a portion of the e-fuse is formed, which is structured and arranged to provide a stress point for fuse programming.

10. A method of forming a programmable fuse structure, comprising:

forming an efuse over a first material;

forming a second material over the efuse;

etching the first material to form an air gap under the efuse; and

forming an airgap in the second material, over the efuse.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first material is an shallow trench isolation material formed in a substrate.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second material is an interlevel dielectric (ILD) layer deposited over the e-fuse.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein at least a portion of the ILD layer over the e-fuse is removed to provide the air gap above a portion of the e-fuse.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein at least a portion of the STI under the e-fuse is removed to provide the air gap below the portion of the e-fuse.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising providing a metal layer above the ILD layer and contacts in the ILD layer electrically connecting the metal layer and the e-fuse.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising providing mechanical anchors for ends of the e-fuse to assist mechanical rupture programming, wherein the mechanical anchors comprise at least one of portions of the ILD layer and the contacts.

17. A method of forming a programmable fuse structure, comprising:

forming an air gap around an e-fuse by:

etching an opening in a cap layer over the e-fuse;

etching portions of layers above the e-fuse, the layers including:

a dielectric layer; and

a SiO 2 layer; and

etching portions of a trench structure below the e-fuse.