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:
Oct. 12, 1999
Filed:
Jun. 02, 1998
Louis L Hsu, Fishkill, NY (US);
Kenneth C Arndt, Poughkeepsie, NY (US);
Jack A Mandelman, Stormville, NY (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A programmable/reprogrammable fuse arrangement that includes two fuse links provided each with an output port and an exclusive-or gate connected to the output port of each of the two fuses, wherein the fuse arrangement is reprogrammed by successively blowing both of the two fuse links is described. The programmable/reprogrammable fuse arrangement can be extended to a plurality of fuses and cascaded exclusive-ORs such that each fuse link provides one leg of the gate and the previous stage, the second. Thus, for N fuse links and N exclusive-ORs, the fuse arrangement thus formed can be reprogrammed a total of N times by sequentially blowing one fuse link at a time. The arrangement ceases to be reprogrammable once all the fuse links have been blown. The reprogrammable fuse arrangement is of particular importance for semiconductor memories and microprocessors, as for instance, for bringing in-line redundancy units attached to a fuse link.