Electrical connectors – With provision to isolate circuitry by severance of bridging...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-05
2001-10-16
Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With provision to isolate circuitry by severance of bridging...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302729
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention lies in the field of integrated circuits. The invention relates to an integrated circuit with electrical connection points that can be severed by the action of energy, also called fuse links.
Japanese Patent Abstract JP-A 01-080 037 discloses an integrated circuit with fuse links, for example. The Abstract shows two rows disposed parallel to one another and each having two fuse links. Each fuse link is an element of an electrical conductor track, the conductor tracks of each row being parallel to one another and rectilinear. Depending on their type, fuse links can be severed, for example, by increased currents flowing through the respective conductor track or by a laser beam. Depending on whether or not a fuse link has been severed, two different states can be distinguished. As such, it is possible to configure an integrated circuit through the fuse links.
In practice, it is often necessary to provide a large number of fuse links on the integrated circuit. Many fuse links are then disposed in a row with the conductor tracks connected to the links being aligned parallel to one another and running rectilinearly. When the fuse links are severed, in particular, by a laser beam, the insulating layer disposed above the fuse link is destroyed. Because the fuse link's electrically conductive material is distributed on the integrated circuit alongside the severing point during the severing, to some extent in an uncontrolled manner, it is necessary to maintain certain minimum spacings between adjacent fuse links to prevent the creation of short circuits between the adjacent fuse links by the aforementioned contaminants. Because of the positioning inaccuracy and the limited minimum beam diameter of the laser system that can be used, the result is likewise determined minimum spacings. The minimum spacings predefined in this way result in a considerable space requirement for large numbers of fuse links disposed in a row.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,172 to Prall et al. describes a bank of electrical connection points that can be severed by a laser. The connection points (fuses) are constituent parts of conductor tracks. The connection points are disposed offset with respect to one another in two directions at right angles to each other. The conductor tracks run substantially parallel to one another in a first direction. In each case, three connection points and three sections not having any connection points are located beside one another. In sections having three connection points running parallel to one another, there is a greater spacing of the conductor tracks from one another than in sections not having any connection points.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an integrated circuit with electrical connection points that can be severed by the action of energy that overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and that reduces the space requirement of the fuse links.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, an integrated circuit, including electrical conductor tracks adjacently disposed parallel to one another and running substantially in a first direction, the electrical conductor tracks respectively having electrical connection points configured to be severed by application of energy, the connection points disposed offset with respect to one another both in the first direction and in a second direction at right angles to the first direction, the conductor tracks having an offset facing away from a respective adjacent one of the conductor tracks at a level of one of the connection points of the respective adjacent one of the conductor tracks to form a smaller spacing between two adjacent ones of the conductor tracks in the second direction in each case where adjacent ones of the conductor tracks do not have a connection point than where adjacent ones of the conductor tracks has a connection point.
The integrated circuit according to the invention has electrical connection points that can be severed by the application or action of energy and which, as viewed both in a first direction and in a second direction at right angles thereto, are disposed offset with respect to one another. The connection points are respectively a constituent part of an electrical conductor track, are disposed parallel to one another, and run substantially in the first direction. The conductor tracks have, at the level of the connection point of the respectively adjacent conductor track, an offset facing away from the latter, so that in each case where they do not have a connection point, two adjacent conductor tracks have a smaller spacing from one another in the second direction than where one of the adjacent conductor tracks has a connection point.
The invention has the advantage that, through the offsets of the conductor tracks provided at the level of the respectively adjacent connection point, the respectively predefined minimum spacing can be complied with at these points without difficulty to avoid short circuits between the conductor tracks that can result from the connection point severing. Likewise, it is, therefore, more easily to comply with the minimum spacing necessitated by the laser system. At the same time, a relatively high packing density of the connection points results because in each case two of the conductor tracks, in the regions in which neither of them has a connection point, have a distinctly smaller spacing from one another than in the regions in which one of them has a connection point. In other words, the conductor tracks have the minimum spacing needed to avoid a short circuit only where the risk of a short circuit actually exists, while in noncritical regions, with respect to a short circuit, the spacing can fall distinctly below the minimum, and it is necessary to take account only of the conventional configuration rules relating to the conductor track spacings on the integrated circuit. Further, a larger beam diameter can be used for the laser process and slight mispositioning of the laser system is less critical.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the integrated circuit has at least one central and two outer electrical connection points that can be severed by the action of energy. The central connection point, as viewed both in a first direction and in a second direction at right angles thereto, is disposed between the two outer connection points. The connection points are in each case a constituent part of a central or of an outer electrical conductor track. The points are disposed parallel to one another and run substantially in the first direction. Each outer conductor track has, at the level of the central connection point, an offset facing away from the latter and, at the level of the outer connection point of the respective other outer conductor track, an offset facing the latter. The central conductor track has, at the level of the two outer connection points, in each case an offset facing away from the latter.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the connection points include multiples of the central and two outer electrical connection points; and the multiples are disposed adjacent to one another in the second direction.
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, there are provided a first metallization plane and a second metallization plane, the central and the two outer conductor tracks being a constituent part of the first metallization plane in a region of a respective one of the central and the two outer connection points, and the central and the two outer conductor tracks being a constituent part of the second metallization plane in a region of others of the connection points.
The development of the invention provides the significant advantage of saving space. In addition, multiples of the above-described configuration, respectively having three connection points and corresponding conductor t
Feurle Robert
Möckel Jens
Greenberg Laurence A.
Infineon - Technologies AG
Lerner Herbert L.
Patel Tulsidas
Prasad Chandrika
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