Patent ID: 7532057

Claim:
A design structure, for an apparatus, the apparatus comprising: an electrically programmable fuse having a first resistance value if unblown and a second resistance value if blown; a reference resistance having a third resistance value between the first resistance value and the second resistance value; a first current source configured to provide a first current; a second current source configured to provide a second current; a first switch having a first node coupled to the first current source and a second node coupled to the electrically programmable fuse, the first current producing an electrically programmable fuse voltage at the first node when the first switch is closed; a second switch having a third node coupled to the second current source and a fourth node coupled to the reference resistance, the second current producing a reference voltage at the third node when the second switch is closed; a first control input logically combined with a second control input, the second control input not switching simultanaously with the first control input, the logical combination configured to produce one or more signals that, at a latching time, simultaneously turn off the first current source to terminate the first current, turn off the second current source to terminate the second current, open the first switch, and open the second switch; and a latching circuit having a first input coupled to the first node and a second input coupled to the third node, the latching circuit configured to store a logical value, indicative of whether the electrically programmable fuse is blown or unblown, detennined by a difference in voltage between the first node and the third node at the latching time.