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:
Dec. 31, 2002
Filed:
Dec. 01, 1999
Michael J. Sinclair, Kirkland, WA (US);
Jeremy A. Levitan, Cambridge, MA (US);
Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, OR (US);
Abstract
A fuse array having a plurality of fusible links that can be addressed by two electrodes is disclosed. The fuse array includes two conductive strips having the plurality of fusible links located therebetween and electrically coupled to the conductive strips. The fusible links have different electrical resistance and each fusible link includes a fuse portion. A voltage potential applied across the conductive strips induces current flow through the fusible links in accordance with Ohm's law and ohmic heating occurs at the fuse portion in proportion to the square of the current. The voltage is increased to cause sufficient ohmic heating to occur in the most conductive fusible link (the fusible link having the lowest electrical resistance) so that the fuse portion in that fusible link fuses. Because the fusible links are connected in parallel to the conductive strips, an equivalent resistance of the plurality of fusible links increases and the current flow diminishes so that no further fuse portions are fused at the selected voltage level. Thereafter, the voltage level may be increased to fuse the most conductive fusible link remaining that is not fused. The fuse array may be incorporated into a circuit as a resistor that can be tuned to circuit requirements or as a physical structure in MEMS devices wherein the fuse array may be tuned to change physical properties of the MEMS device.