Semiconductor Fuse With Folded Wide Interconnect
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor devices with electric fuses face challenges in maintaining a reliable cut state due to potential reconnection issues during heat treatment, especially under severe conditions or when higher reliability is required, as material movement by electro-migration can cause reconnection at cut parts.
Innovation Solution
The semiconductor device incorporates a conductive member with a wide interconnect and a narrower interconnect, where the wide interconnect is folded to create a region for easy heating, and the narrower interconnect is connected outside this region, allowing for controlled cutting by applying current to promote heating and crack formation, thereby ensuring the cut state is maintained at a different location from the heated region.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fuse is cut by applying current to heat and melt the material, then the fuse is successfully cut, but material movement by electro-migration may cause reconnection at the cut part during heat treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heating function and cutting function to different locations. The wide interconnect region is dedicated to heating (where material flows out), while the narrow interconnect region is dedicated to cutting. This separation prevents the cut location from being exposed to high heat and electro-migration, thereby preventing reconnection and improving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different geometries (wide vs. narrow interconnect) to different regions of the fuse structure. The wide interconnect region provides easy heating and material flow, while the narrow interconnect region provides precise cutting and stable cut state. This local differentiation of properties resolves the contradiction between effective cutting and preventing reconnection.
2Productivity
If the fuse material is heated to melt or cut the fuse, then the fuse is cut, but heat treatment may cause material movement and reconnection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates the heating zone (wide interconnect) from the cutting zone (narrow interconnect). This allows efficient heating and material flow in the wide region while maintaining a stable, cool cut state in the narrow region, preventing reconnection even under severe heat treatment conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameter (interconnect width) along the fuse structure. The width transitions from wide (for heating) to narrow (for cutting), which changes the thermal and electrical properties locally. This parameter change enables both efficient heating and stable cutting without compromising either productivity or reliability.
3Temperature
If a folded interconnect structure is used to concentrate heat, then heating efficiency is improved, but the cut location may be exposed to heat causing reconnection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heat concentration function to the wide interconnect region while keeping the narrow interconnect region (cut location) separate and cooler. The folded structure concentrates heat in the wide region, causing material to flow away from the narrow cut region, thereby maintaining cut stability and preventing reconnection.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration effectively prevents reconnection and maintains a reliable cut state in the electric fuse, enhancing the holding characteristic and reliability of the semiconductor device, even under severe conditions.
Implementation Method 1
heat generated in a portion of the fuse, which is to be cut, is trapped or accumulated in the neighborhood of the portion in the fuse, which is to be cut
Implementation Method 2
material movement by the electro-migration causes reconnection at a cut part when heat-treating of a semiconductor device is executed after the fuse is cut
Data Source
AI summary
An electric fuse includes a wide interconnect and a narrow interconnect. The electric fuse has a juxtaposed region in which a plurality of straight line portions are juxtaposed with each other by folding the wide interconnect, and the narrow interconnect has a narrower width than that of the wide interconnect, and, at the same time, is connected to the wide interconnect outside the juxtaposed region.