It s more flexible and reliable than any other method to date. If trimming is needed, the tunneling phenomenon is used to program the cells. Using fewer steps than masking saves customer money and process cycle time.
Yields are also higher because the process is less complex than masking.
Additionally it is easier and vastly more reliable than trimming by blowing fuses. The ability to trim a circuit can be critical. Recently, Rodney Anderton, engineering manager for the Mixed-Signal Group in AMI Semiconductor's Central Design and Layout operation, used a bandgap reference circuit as an example. Bandgap references are used in a broad range of applications, including data converters, regulators, and low-voltage detectors. Laser trimming, for example, is restricted to the wafer sort stage.