Patent ID: 7485944

Claim:
A programmable device for reliably achieving a post-programming resistance greater than 5 Kohms, said programmable device comprising: a substrate; an insulator on said substrate; an elongated semiconductor material having a constant first thickness and disposed on said insulator, said elongated semiconductor material having a first end, a second end, a fuse link between the ends, and an upper surface; a metallic material having a constant second thickness and disposed on said upper surface; and at least one programming transistor configured to supply an electrical current, I, having a magnitude between a first value and a second value through said elongated semiconductor material and through said metallic material; wherein said semiconductor material includes a dopant of one conductivity type at a concentration of at least 10 17 dopants/cc, said first end is wider than said second end, and said metallic material being physically migratable along said upper surface responsive to said electrical current; wherein said first value is set between a first range of current level that causes post-program resistance distribution that is wide and on a low side of approximately 5 Kohms and a second range of current level that causes said post-program resistance to be greater than 5 Kohms and tightly distributed without any rupture in said elongated semiconductor material; wherein said second value is set between said second range of current level and a third range of current level that ruptures said elongated semiconductor material and said post-program resistance shows a two mode distribution; and wherein said at least one programming transistor comprises: a first programming transistor having a first terminal, a second terminal, and a first gate electrode, wherein said first terminal is connected directly to said second end of said elongated semiconductor material, and wherein said first gate electrode is connected to a power supply voltage, Vdd; and a second programming transistor having a third terminal, a fourth terminal, and a second gate electrode, wherein said third terminal is directly connected to said second terminal, and said second gate electrode is configured to be pulsed with a programming signal to provide said electrical current, I.