Patent ID: 6559483
Filing Date: 2003-05-06
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
A semiconductor device comprising an arrangement of an electrically programmable non-volatile memory element (1), formed on a semiconductor surface (2), for storing a data bit; the non-volatile memory element (1) comprising a fuse wire (3) and a heating wire (4); the fuse wire (3) being arranged as a planar line, and further being arranged as a memory element to be programmable by blowing the fuse wire (3) through joule heating induced by a current flow; the heating wire (4) being arranged to generate additional heat by current flow-induced joule heating and to provide said additional heat to the fuse wire (3) during programming of the fuse wire (3), characterized in that the heating wire (4) is arranged as a heater spatially surrounding the fuse wire (3).