National Semiconductor Corporation

Lawrence K Lam

Ali A Iranmanesh

Rick C Jerome

Frank Marazita

George E Ganschow

Brian McFarlane

Ronald P Kovacs

James L Bouknight

A vertical fuse structure including a lightly-doped shallow emitter 30 provides improved fusing characteristics. The structure includes a buried collector 14, an overlying base 30, and an emitter 44 above the base 30. In one preferred embodiment, the emitter 44 extends about 0.2 microns from the upper surface and has a dopant concentration of about 8.times.1019 atoms of arsenic per cubic centimeter at the surface. A lightly doped base region 30 extends for about 0.46 microns below the emitter 44 to the collector 14. The upper surface of emitter 44 includes a metal contact 60. Heating the metal 60/emitter 44 interface to its eutectic melting point using a current or voltage pulse causes the aluminum to short through the emitter 44 to the base 30. Shorting the emitter programs the fuse. A second preferred embodiment uses polysilicon as an interconnecting medium. Mass transport of aluminum atoms through the polysilicon allows aluminum to collect at an interface between the polysilicon and an underlying single crystal silicon layer. Aluminum atoms are supplied from a contact metal. A barrier metal between the contact metal and an underlying polysilicon contact to the emitter is not present. Inhibiting or replacing a TiSi.sub.2 layer over the fuse emitter contact provides better reproducible fusing action. PtSi replaces TiSi.sub.2 if formed over the fuse emitter contact. Separate fuse base implants for the vertical fuse change BJT parameters for improved fusing characteristics. In still another preferred embodiment, codiffusing N type and P type dopants from the polysilicon emitter contact drops a separate fuse mask. The P type codiffused dopants diffuse ahead of the N type emitter dopants into the single crystal to change the base parameters to provide a decreased gain.

Vertical fuse device

An improved method for fabricating polysilicon Schottky clamped transistors and vertical fuse devices in the same semiconductor structure is disclosed. The resulting structure yields an improved Schottky clamped transistor and vertical fuse device. The improved Schottky transistor has a silicide rectifying contact between the base and collector of the transistor, the vertical fuse is provided with a direct contact between an aluminum contact metal and a polysilicon emitter contact.

Method to fabricate vertical fuse devices and Schottky diodes using thin

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Kent, WA, United States of America

Lawrence K Lam