The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 10, 1992
Filed:
Oct. 23, 1990
Bruce B Roesner, Poway, CA (US);
Instant Circuit Corporation, San Diego, CA (US);
Abstract
A Read-Only Memory is comprised of a plurality of memory cells. An antifuse film is disposed between and in contact with an underlying heavily N-doped word line layer and an overlying metallic address line layer. The word line is disposed on an insulating semiconductor substrate and is in contact with a surrounding oxide layer. The programmable material is irreversibly configured between the two resistivity states by application of a threshold voltage. The threshold voltage alters the electrical state of the programmable material only in the proximity of that portion of the programmable material to which the threshold voltage has been applied. The resistivity of the low resistivity state is selectively decreased by implanting nonactivated conductive dopants into film. These dopants are characterized by having a nonactivated state where the conduction of carriers in the film is not enhanced, and an activated state where the conduction of carriers in the film is enhanced. The dopants are configured from the nonactivated state into the activated state by application of the same threshold voltage that is applied across the antifuse film to program the material.