Patents by Inventor Yan Zun Li
Yan Zun Li has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 8630108Abstract: An alternative electrical fuse structure, which may be similar to or identical with an insulated gate field effect transistor (“IGFET”) of advanced CMOS technology, can be very area efficient and programmable at relatively low voltages, e.g., programming voltages between 1.5 V and 2.5 V. A method is provided for programming an electrical fuse having the structure of an IGFET to permanently electrically isolate the drain of the IGFET from its source. In this way, the step of programming the IGFET fuse can increase a resistance between the source and the drain of the IGFET from a pre-programming value to a post-programming value by two or more orders of magnitude when any given gate-source voltage value and any given drain-source voltage value within normal operational ranges of the IGFET are applied thereto.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2011Date of Patent: January 14, 2014Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventor: Yan-Zun Li
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Patent number: 8569755Abstract: An antifuse has first and second semiconductor regions having one conductivity type and a third semiconductor region therebetween having an opposite conductivity type. A conductive region contacting the first region has a long dimension in a second direction transverse to the direction of a long dimension of a gate. An antifuse anode is spaced apart from the first region in the second direction and a contact is connected with the second region. Applying a programming voltage between the anode and the contact with gate bias sufficient to fully turn on field effect transistor operation of the antifuse heats the first region to drive a dopant outwardly, causing an edge of the first region to move closer to an edge of the second region and reduce electrical resistance between the first and second regions by an one or more orders of magnitude.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2012Date of Patent: October 29, 2013Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Yan Zun Li, Chandrasekharan Kothandaraman, Dan Moy, Norman W. Robson, John M. Safran
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Patent number: 8542517Abstract: An antifuse can include an insulated gate field effect transistor (“IGFET”) having an active semiconductor region including a body and first regions, i.e., at least one source region and at least one drain region separated from one another by the body. A gate may overlie the body and a body contact is electrically connected with the body. The first regions have opposite conductivity (i.e., n-type or p-type) from the body. The IGFET can be configured such that a programming current through at least one of the first regions and the body contact causes heating sufficient to drive dopant diffusion from the at least one first region into the body and cause an edge of the at least one first region to move closer to an adjacent edge of at least one other of the first regions. In such way, the programming current can permanently reduce electrical resistance by one or more orders of magnitude between the at least one first region and the at least one other first region.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2011Date of Patent: September 24, 2013Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventor: Yan Zun Li
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Publication number: 20130241031Abstract: Methods of forming an electrically programmable fuse (e-fuse) structure and the e-fuse structure are disclosed. Various embodiments of forming the e-fuse structure include: forming a dummy poly gate structure to contact a surface of a silicon structure, the dummy poly gate structure extending only a part of a length of the silicon structure; and converting an unobstructed portion of the surface of the silicon structure to silicide to form a thinned strip of the silicide between two end regions.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2012Publication date: September 19, 2013Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Yan Zun Li, Zhengwen Li, Chengwen Pei, Jian Yu
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Publication number: 20130071998Abstract: An electrical fuse device is disclosed. A circuit apparatus can include the fuse device, a first circuit element and a second circuit element. The fuse includes a first contact that has a first electromigration resistance, a second contact that has a second electromigration resistance and a metal line, which is coupled to the first contact and to the second contact, that has a third electromigration resistance that is lower than the second electromigration resistance. The first circuit element is coupled to the first contact and the second circuit element coupled to the second contact. The fuse is configured to conduct a programming current from the first contact to the second contact through the metal line. Further, the programming current causes the metal line to electromigrate away from the second contact to electrically isolate the second circuit element from the first circuit element.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2011Publication date: March 21, 2013Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Baozhen Li, Yan Zun Li, Keith Kwong Hon Wong, Chih-Chao Yang
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Publication number: 20130063202Abstract: An antifuse has first and second semiconductor regions having one conductivity type and a third semiconductor region therebetween having an opposite conductivity type. A conductive region contacting the first region has a long dimension in a second direction transverse to the direction of a long dimension of a gate. An antifuse anode is spaced apart from the first region in the second direction and a contact is connected with the second region. Applying a programming voltage between the anode and the contact with gate bias sufficient to fully turn on field effect transistor operation of the antifuse heats the first region to drive a dopant outwardly, causing an edge of the first region to move closer to an edge of the second region and reduce electrical resistance between the first and second regions by an one or more orders of magnitude.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2012Publication date: March 14, 2013Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Yan Zun Li, Chandrasekharan Kothandaraman, Dan Moy, Norman W. Robson, John M. Safran
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Patent number: 8350264Abstract: An antifuse is provided having a unitary monocrystalline semiconductor body including first and second semiconductor regions each having the same first conductivity type, and a third semiconductor region between the first and second semiconductor regions which has a second conductivity type opposite from the first conductivity type. An anode and a cathode can be electrically connected with the first semiconductor region. A conductive region including a metal, a conductive compound of a metal or an alloy of a metal can contact the first semiconductor region and extend between the cathode and the anode. The antifuse can further include a contact electrically connected with the second semiconductor region.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 2010Date of Patent: January 8, 2013Assignee: International Businesss Machines CorporationInventors: Yan Zun Li, Chandrasekharan Kothandaraman, Dan Moy, Norman W. Robson, John M. Safran
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Publication number: 20120327700Abstract: An antifuse according to an embodiment of the invention herein can include a depletion mode metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (“MOSFET”) having a conduction channel and a metal gate overlying the conduction channel. A cathode and an anode of the antifuse can be electrically coupled to the gate and spaced apart from one another in a direction the gate extends, such that the antifuse is programmable by driving a programming current between the cathode and the anode to cause material of the metal gate to migrate away. The gate may be configured such that, under appropriate biasing conditions, when the antifuse is unprogrammed, the conduction channel is turned on unless a voltage above a first threshold voltage is applied to the gate to turn off the conduction channel. The gate can be configured such that when the antifuse has been programmed, the conduction channel remains turned on even if a voltage above the first threshold voltage is applied between the gate and a source region of the MOSFET.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 27, 2011Publication date: December 27, 2012Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventor: YAN-ZUN LI
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Publication number: 20120314475Abstract: An antifuse can include an insulated gate field effect transistor (“IGFET”) having an active semiconductor region including a body and first regions, i.e., at least one source region and at least one drain region separated from one another by the body. A gate may overlie the body and a body contact is electrically connected with the body. The first regions have opposite conductivity (i.e., n-type or p-type) from the body. The IGFET can be configured such that a programming current through at least one of the first regions and the body contact causes heating sufficient to drive dopant diffusion from the at least one first region into the body and cause an edge of the at least one first region to move closer to an adjacent edge of at least one other of the first regions. In such way, the programming current can permanently reduce electrical resistance by one or more orders of magnitude between the at least one first region and the at least one other first region.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 13, 2011Publication date: December 13, 2012Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventor: YAN ZUN LI
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Publication number: 20120275208Abstract: An electrical fuse has an anode contact on a surface of a semiconductor substrate. The electrical fuse has a cathode contact on the surface of the semiconductor substrate spaced from the anode contact. The electrical fuse has a link within the substrate electrically interconnecting the anode contact and the cathode contact. The link comprises a semiconductor layer and a silicide layer. The silicide layer extends beyond the anode contact. An opposite end of the silicide layer extends beyond the cathode contact. A silicon germanium region is embedded in the semiconductor layer under the silicide layer, between the anode contact and the cathode contact.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2011Publication date: November 1, 2012Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Yan Zun Li, Zhengwen Li, Chengwen Pei, Jian Yu
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Publication number: 20120250389Abstract: An alternative electrical fuse structure, which may be similar to or identical with an insulated gate field effect transistor (“IGFET”) of advanced CMOS technology, can be very area efficient and programmable at relatively low voltages, e.g., programming voltages between 1.5 V and 2.5 V. A method is provided for programming an electrical fuse having the structure of an IGFET to permanently electrically isolate the drain of the IGFET from its source. In this way, the step of programming the IGFET fuse can increase a resistance between the source and the drain of the IGFET from a pre-programming value to a post-programming value by two or more orders of magnitude when any given gate-source voltage value and any given drain-source voltage value within normal operational ranges of the IGFET are applied thereto.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2011Publication date: October 4, 2012Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventor: YAN-ZUN LI
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Publication number: 20120012977Abstract: An antifuse is provided having a unitary monocrystalline semiconductor body including first and second semiconductor regions each having the same first conductivity type, and a third semiconductor region between the first and second semiconductor regions which has a second conductivity type opposite from the first conductivity type. An anode and a cathode can be electrically connected with the first semiconductor region. A conductive region including a metal, a conductive compound of a metal or an alloy of a metal can contact the first semiconductor region and extend between the cathode and the anode. The antifuse can further include a contact electrically connected with the second semiconductor region.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 14, 2010Publication date: January 19, 2012Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Yan Zun Li, Chandrasekharan Kothandaraman, Dan Moy, Norman W. Robson, John M. Safran