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:
Aug. 31, 1999
Filed:
Jun. 20, 1997
Timothy B Cowles, Boise, ID (US);
Steven G Renfro, Boise, ID (US);
Micron Technology, Inc., Boise, ID (US);
Abstract
An inventive programmable circuit stores a bit (i.e., a '1'or a '0') as the result of one of a pair of anti-fuses of the circuit connected in series between a supply voltage V.sub.cc and ground V.sub.ss being blown. If the anti-fuse connected to the supply voltage V.sub.cc is blown, the supply voltage V.sub.cc passes through the anti-fuse to a node between the series-connected anti-fuses. If, instead, the anti-fuse connected to ground V.sub.ss is blown, the node between the anti-fuses is connected to ground through the blown anti-fuse. The voltage on the node (i.e., V.sub.cc or V.sub.ss) may then be output from the programmable circuit as being representative of the bit stored in the circuit. Because only one of the anti-fuses is blown, no direct path exists between the supply voltage V.sub.cc and ground V.sub.ss, so the programmable circuit does not waste current as prior circuits are known to do. The programmable circuit is particularly useful in storing the memory addresses of memory cells in a memory device that are to be replaced by redundant cells.