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. 02, 2012
Filed:
May. 04, 2011
Geoffrey W. Burr, Cupertino, CA (US);
Chandrasekharan Kothandaraman, Hopewell Junction, NY (US);
Chung Hon Lam, Peekskill, NY (US);
Xiao HU Liu, Briarcliff Manor, NY (US);
Stephen M. Rossnagel, Pleasantville, NY (US);
Christy S. Tyberg, Mahopac, NY (US);
Robert L. Wisnieff, Ridgefield, CT (US);
Geoffrey W. Burr, Cupertino, CA (US);
Chandrasekharan Kothandaraman, Hopewell Junction, NY (US);
Chung Hon Lam, Peekskill, NY (US);
Xiao Hu Liu, Briarcliff Manor, NY (US);
Stephen M. Rossnagel, Pleasantville, NY (US);
Christy S. Tyberg, Mahopac, NY (US);
Robert L. Wisnieff, Ridgefield, CT (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A reversible fuse structure in an integrated circuit is obtained through the implementation of a fuse cell having a short thin line of phase change materials in contact with via and line structures capable of passing current through the line of phase change material (fuse cell). The current is passed through the fuse cell in order to change the material from a less resistive material to a more resistive material through heating the phase change material in the crystalline state to the melting point then quickly quenching the material into the amorphous state. The reversible programming is achieved by passing a lower current through the fuse cell to convert the high resistivity amorphous material to a lower resistivity crystalline material. Appropriate sense-circuitry is integrated to read the information stored in the fuses, wherein said sense circuitry is used to enable or disable circuitry.