Fuse Element Array Layout for Accurate Blown Resistance Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
As semiconductor device structures shrink, accurately determining the status of fuse elements becomes challenging due to increased parasitic resistance, leading to inaccurate blown resistance values and test results.
Innovation Solution
The semiconductor device structure incorporates shared active regions and gate structures to form an array of fuse elements, with conductive lines connected to avoid parasitic resistance, enabling accurate testing by reducing the size of the device while maintaining precise status determination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If the size of semiconductor device structures is reduced, then the density and integration are improved, but the parasitic resistance increases leading to inaccurate fuse element testing
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into multiple fuse elements arranged in an array, where each fuse element is formed by the overlap of a gate structure and an active region. This segmentation allows independent testing of each fuse element while maintaining a compact overall device structure, resolving the contradiction between small device size and accurate measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
Conductive lines are introduced as intermediary elements to directly connect the active regions to the fuse elements, bypassing the transistor channels that would otherwise introduce parasitic resistance. This intermediary connection path eliminates the harmful parasitic resistance while maintaining the reduced device size.
2Device complexity
If conventional transistor-based fuse testing is used, then the device structure is simple, but parasitic resistance from transistors causes inaccurate blown resistance values
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful parasitic resistance from transistor channels is extracted and removed from the measurement path. Instead of using transistor channels to connect to fuse elements, the invention directly connects active regions to fuse elements through conductive lines, taking out the problematic transistor channel resistance from the critical measurement path.
Solution Approach 2:
The gate structures and active regions serve multiple functions: they define the fuse elements, provide direct electrical connections without transistors, and enable accurate resistance measurement. This multi-functionality maintains structural simplicity while eliminating parasitic resistance effects.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a first gate structure extending along a first direction and electrically connected to a first transistor, a second gate structure extending along the first direction and electrically connected to a second transistor, a first active region extending along a second direction different from the first direction and across the first gate structure and the second gate structure, and a first conductive element extending along the second direction and disposed on the first active region. The first conductive element is electrically connected to the first active region. The first conductive element is electrically connected to the first active region, such that a short circuit between the first active region and the third transistor is formed. The first gate structure and the first active region form a first fuse element, and the second gate structure and the first active region form a second fuse element.