Patent ID: 7482854

Claim:
An e-fuse comprising: a pad receiving a high program voltage; a program circuit comprising a program node, and a voltage divider formed by a plurality of resistors receiving the high program voltage from the pad and providing a reduced program voltage to the gate of a program transistor, wherein the program transistor is connected between the program node and ground and the programmed state of the program transistor defines a leakage current flowing through a leakage current path; a switch circuit connected between the program node and ground, whereby the leakage current path is connected to ground in response to the program voltage; a current supply circuit connected to the program node and adapted to supply a predetermined current to the leakage current path after the program transistor is programmed; and a sense/amplification circuit connected to the program node, whereby the programmed state of the e-fuse may be sensed and output.