Patent ID: 7180810

Claim:
A method of breaking down a fuse in a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a semiconductor device having, on a substrate, a serial connection of a fuse element and a MOS type transistor, the fuse element being capable of being electrically broken down by flowing current therethrough, and the MOS type transistor having source, gate and drain terminals and a connection point between one end of the fuse element and one of the source and drain terminals; and (b) applying a voltage higher than a drain voltage of the MOS type transistor at which a drain current starts saturation, between the other end of the fuse element and the other of the source and drain terminals, applying a predetermined program voltage to the gate terminal, and breaking down the fuse element by setting a voltage at the connection point between the fuse element and the MOS type transistor to a voltage lower than a drain voltage of the MOS type transistor in a saturation region in which a drain current saturates.