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:
Feb. 22, 2000
Filed:
Mar. 11, 1998
Ronald Lamar Freyman, Bethlehem, PA (US);
Bruce Walter McNeill, Allentown, PA (US);
Malcolm Harold Smith, Macungie, PA (US);
Gary H Weiss, Slatington, PA (US);
Charles Raymond Miller, Shickshinny, PA (US);
Lucent Technologies, Inc., Murray Hill, NJ (US);
Abstract
An integrated circuit includes topological features for weakening or otherwise modifying a blowable fuse in order to decrease the current needed to blow the fuse. This allows a decrease in the size of the circuit components which are needed to supply the current for blowing the fuse, in turn allowing compaction of the layout of the circuitry needed to blow the fuse. To this end, topological features are used to deform the shape of or otherwise modify the fuse, in turn increasing the resistance of the fuse or introducing flaws that allow the fuse to blow at a lower current.