Abstract: The invention is directed to a concept to use a 3-dimensional DRAM capacitor as a one-time non-volatile programming element (programmable antifuse) to make redundancy repair and/or to select other options on a DRAM. The programmable element of the present invention provides some significant advantages, such as a lower programming voltage, which allows use of the DRAM's existing operating supply, and requiring only half of the operating voltage to test the element once programming is accomplished. The lower programming voltage allows for redundancy repair of defective DRAM cells (or selecting other options) to be made after the DRAM die is packaged including after it is installed at a customer's site.

Abstract: An integrated cirucuit is provided with a depletion mode filter capacitor, which reduces voltage spiking, while at the same time avoiding latchup problems caused by the capacitor. The depletion mode capacitor has a barrier layer which is doped to an opposite conductivity type as the integrated circuit's substrate, achieved by doping to provide an opposite difference from four valence electrons as the substrate. The barrier is formed as a part of a CMOS process, in a manner which avoids additional process steps. The capacitor is formed with one node connected to ground or substrate, and the other node directly to a power bus. The capacitor is located on open space available on the whole siliocn chip (memory as well as logic chip), particularly directly underneath the metal power bus to achieve an on-chip power bus decoupling capacitor wth capacitance in excess of 0.001 .mu.F.