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US4455495A
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Programmable semiconductor integrated circuitry including a programming semiconductor element
Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1980-10-01
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Granted: 1984-06-19
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Expires: 2000-10-01
Abstract
Abstract A programmable semiconductor integrated circuitry including a circuit programming element is disclosed. The circuit programming element can be activated in a short-circuit mode by the irradiation of a laser or electron beam or by ion implantation so that it is converted from its original nonconductive state into a conductive or conductable state, thereby providing electrical connection between circuits and/or circuit elements of the integrated circuitry for a desired circuit programming such as circuit creation, circuit conversion or circuit substitution.
Inventors
- 👤 Toshiaki Masuhara
- 👤 Osamu Minato
- 👤 Katsuhiro Shimohigashi
- 👤 Hiroo Masuda
- 👤 Hideo Sunami
- 👤 Yoshio Sakai
- 👤 Yoshiaki Kamigaki
- 👤 Eiji Takeda
- 👤 Yoshimune Hagiwara
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 04:55
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11C; G11C29/00; G11C29/70; G11C29/78; G11C29/785; G11C17/00; G11C17/14; G11C17/16; G11C17/18; G11C8/00; G11C8/10; H; H10; H10B; H10B20/00; H10P; H10P34/00; H10P34/40; H10P34/42; H10P95/00; H10P95/90; H10W; H10W20/00; H10W20/01; H10W20/031; H10W20/067; H10W20/068; H10W20/40; H10W20/49; H10W20/491; H10W20/492
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 42
Claim 1
Independent Claim
143 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit including in a semiconductor substrate a regular circuit, a spare circuit, and at least one circuit programming element which has a first terminal connected to the regular circuit and a second terminal connected to the spare circuit and which, when at least a part of the regular circuit is defective, is characterized by being convertible from its original nonconductive state to a conductive state so that the defective part of the regular circuit is replaced by the spare circuit through the conversion of the circuit programming element, wherein said circuit programming element comprises a semiconductor element including two spaced low-resistance portions as said first and second terminals laterally provided on an insulating layer disposed on said semiconductor substrate and an intermediate high-resistance portion disposed adjacent to and between said low-resistance portions and electrically coupled to said low-resistance portions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
143 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit including in a semiconductor substrate a regular circuit, a spare circuit, and at least one circuit programming element which has a first terminal connected to the regular circuit and a second terminal connected to the spare circuit and which, when at least a part of the regular circuit is defective, is characterized by being convertible from its original nonconductive state to a conductive state so that the defective part of the regular circuit is replaced by the spare circuit through the conversion of the circuit programming element, wherein said circuit programming element comprises a semiconductor element including two spaced low-resistance portions as said first and second terminals laterally provided on an insulating layer disposed on said semiconductor substrate and an intermediate high-resistance portion disposed adjacent to and between said low-resistance portions and electrically coupled to said low-resistance portions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the low-resistance portions of said programming semiconductor element are doped with impurities of the same conductivity type.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the low-resistance portions of said programming semiconductor element are doped with impurities of different conductivity types, respectively.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 2, wherein the high-resistance portion of said programming semiconductor element is made of an intrinsic semiconductor material.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 3, wherein the high-resistance portion of said programming semiconductor element is made of an intrinsic semiconductor material.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 2, wherein the high-resistance portion of said programming semiconductor element is lightly doped with impurity of the same conductivity type as one of said low-resistance portions.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 3, wherein the high-resistance portion of said programming semiconductor element is lightly doped with impurity of the same conductivity type as one of said low-resistance portions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
46 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 4, wherein said programming semiconductor element has an insulating film provided on at least a part of said high-resistance portion, said insulating film being doped with impurity of the same conductivity type as one of said low-resistance portions.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
46 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 5, wherein said programming semiconductor element has an insulating film provided on at least a part of said high-resistance portion, said insulating film being doped with impurity of the same conductivity type as one of said low-resistance portions.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
46 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 6, wherein said programming semiconductor element has an insulating film provided on at least a part of said high-resistance portion, said insulating film being doped with impurity of the same conductivity type as one of said low-resistance portions.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
46 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 7, wherein said programming semiconductor element has an insulating film provided on at least a part of said high-resistance portion, said insulating film being doped with impurity of the same conductivity type as one of said low-resistance portions.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 8, wherein at least one undoped insulating film is interposed between said high-resistance portion and said doped insulating film.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 9, wherein at least one undoped insulating film is interposed between said high-resistance portion and said doped insulating film.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
27 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 10, wherein at least one undoped insulating film is interposed between said high-resistance portion and said doped insulating film.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 11, wherein at least one undoped insulating film is interposed between said high-resistance portion and said doped insulating film.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
139 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit including in a semiconductor substrate a regular circuit, a spare circuit, and at least one circuit programming element which has a first terminal connected to the regular circuit and a second terminal connected to the spare circuit and which, when at least a part of the regular circuit is defective, is characterized by being convertible from its original nonconductive state to a conductive state so that the defective part of the regular circuit is replaced by the spare circuit through the conversion of the circuit programming element, wherein said circuit programming element comprises a semiconductor element including two spaced diffusion regions as said first and second terminals of a first conductivity type provided in a surface region of said semiconductor substrate of a second conductivity type with an intermediate surface region portion existing therebetween.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
139 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit including in a semiconductor substrate a regular circuit, a spare circuit, and at least one circuit programming element which has a first terminal connected to the regular circuit and a second terminal connected to the spare circuit and which, when at least a part of the regular circuit is defective, is characterized by being convertible from its original nonconductive state to a conductive state so that the defective part of the regular circuit is replaced by the spare circuit through the conversion of the circuit programming element, wherein said circuit programming element comprises a semiconductor element including two spaced diffusion regions as said first and second terminals of a first conductivity type provided in a surface region of said semiconductor substrate of a second conductivity type with an intermediate surface region portion existing therebetween.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
51 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 16, wherein said programmable semiconductor element has an insulated-gate transistor structure including a gate electrode, for receiving a gate potential, provided through an insulating film on said intermediate surface region portion, said spaced diffusion regions being provided as source and drain regions, respectively.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
25 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 17, wherein at least one of said source and drain regions is offset from said gate electrode.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
21 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 17, wherein said gate electrode overlaps each of said source and drain regions.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
37 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuitry according to claim 16, wherein said programming semiconductor element has an insulating film provided on said intermediate surface region portion, said insulating film being doped with impurity of said first conductivity type.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
58 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein said regular circuit includes regular column and/or row parts while said spare circuit includes spare column and/or row parts, and a defective portion of said regular column and/or row part can be replaced by said spare column and/or row part through the conversion of said programming semiconductor element.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
45 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 21, wherein said regular circuit includes regular decoders while said spare circuit includes spare decoders, and one of said regular decoders in said defective regular column and/or row part is replaced by one of said spare decoders.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
58 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 16, wherein said regular circuit includes regular column and/or row parts while said spare circuit includes spare column and/or row parts, and a defective portion of said regular column and/or row part can be replaced by said spare column and/or row part through the conversion of said programming semiconductor element.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
45 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 23, wherein said regular circuit includes regular decoders while said spare circuit includes spare decoders, and one of said regular decoders in said defective regular column and/or row part is replaced by one of said spare decoders.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
175 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 22, wherein each of said decoders includes a word line connected to a memory cell, and wherein a plurality of second circuit programming elements are associated with the respective word lines in said regular decoders, each of said second programming elements being characterized by being convertible from its original nonconductive state to a conductive state when the memory cell connected to the associated word line is defective so that the word line is made inoperative, each of said second programming elements comprising a semiconductor element including two opposite spaced low-resistance portions as first and second terminals laterally provided on an insulating layer disposed on said semiconductor substrate and an intermediate high-resistance portion disposed adjacent to and between said low-resistance portions and electrically coupled to said low-resistance portions, the first terminal of the second programming element being coupled to the associated word line while the second terminal thereof is connected to a predetermined potential for rendering the word line inoperative through the conversion of the second programming element.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
193 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 24, wherein each of said decoders includes a word line connected to a memory cell, and wherein a plurality of second circuit programming elements are associated with the respective word lines in said regular decoders, each of said second programming elements being characterized by being convertible from its original nonconductive state to a conductive state when the memory cell connected to the associated word line is defective so that the word line is made inoperative, each of said second programming elements comprising an insulated-gate transistor structure including two spaced source and drain regions as first and second terminals of a first conductivity type provided in a surface region of said semiconductor substrate of a second conductivity type, an intermediate surface region portion existing therebetween, and a gate electrode provided through an insulating film on said intermediate surface region portion, the first and second terminals of the second programming element being coupled to predetermined portions of the associated word line respectively while the gate electrode thereof is connected to a predetermined potential for rendering the word line inoperative through the conversion of the second programming element.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
121 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit comprising a plurality of circuit programming elements each of which has first and second terminals coupled to respective circuits formed in a semiconductor substrate, each of said circuit programming elements being characterized by being convertible from its original nonconductive state to a conductive state so that a required circuit programming is effected through the conversion of predetermined ones of said circuit programming elements, wherein each of said circuit programming elements comprises a semiconductor element including two spaced low-resistance portions as said first and second terminals laterally provided on an insulating layer disposed on said semiconductor substrate and an intermediate high-resistance portion disposed adjacent to and between said low-resistance portions and electrically coupled to said low-resistance portions.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
121 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit comprising a plurality of circuit programming elements each of which has first and second terminals coupled to respective circuits formed in a semiconductor substrate, each of said circuit programming elements being characterized by being convertible from its original nonconductive state to a conductive state so that a required circuit programming is effected through the conversion of predetermined ones of said circuit programming elements, wherein each of said circuit programming elements comprises a semiconductor element including two spaced low-resistance portions as said first and second terminals laterally provided on an insulating layer disposed on said semiconductor substrate and an intermediate high-resistance portion disposed adjacent to and between said low-resistance portions and electrically coupled to said low-resistance portions.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
48 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 27, wherein the low-resistance portions of said programming element are doped with impurities of different conductivity types, respectively, and said programming element provides a pn junction element when it is converted from the original nonconductive state to the conductive state.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
95 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 28, wherein said respective circuits formed in said substrate include a plurality of word lines and a plurality of data lines which are arranged in a matrix form, and one of the first and second terminals of said programming element is connected to the word line at each intersection of the word and data lines while the other terminal is connected to the data line at the intersection of the word and data lines, whereby the conversion of said predetermined programming elements provides a programmable logic array.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
135 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit comprising: first and second predetermined circuits; and a circuit programming element coupled to said first and second predetermined circuits and which is characterized in being convertible from its original nonconductive state to a conductive state to provide electrical connection between said first and second predetermined circuits to effect circuit programming, wherein said circuit programming element is an insulated-gate electrode structure element including source and drain regions of a first conductivity type provided in a surface region of a semiconductor substrate of a second conductivity type and a gate electrode, for receiving a gate potential, provided through an insulating film on a portion of said surface region existing between said source and drain regions, and said source and drain regions are to be extended to activate said insulated-gate electrode structure element.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
135 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit comprising: first and second predetermined circuits; and a circuit programming element coupled to said first and second predetermined circuits and which is characterized in being convertible from its original nonconductive state to a conductive state to provide electrical connection between said first and second predetermined circuits to effect circuit programming, wherein said circuit programming element is an insulated-gate electrode structure element including source and drain regions of a first conductivity type provided in a surface region of a semiconductor substrate of a second conductivity type and a gate electrode, for receiving a gate potential, provided through an insulating film on a portion of said surface region existing between said source and drain regions, and said source and drain regions are to be extended to activate said insulated-gate electrode structure element.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
140 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit comprising: first and second predetermined circuits; and a circuit programming element coupled to said first and second predetermined circuits and which is characterized in being convertible from its original nonconductive state to a conductive state to provide electrical connection between said first and second predetermined circuits to effect circuit programming, wherein said circuit programming element is an insulated-gate electrode structure element including source and drain regions of a first conductivity type provided in a surface region of a semiconductor substrate of a second conductivity type and a gate electrode, for receiving a gate potential, provided through an insulating film on a portion of said surface region existing between said source and drain regions, and wherein at least one of said source and drain regions is to be extended to activate said insulated-gate electrode structure element.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
140 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit comprising: first and second predetermined circuits; and a circuit programming element coupled to said first and second predetermined circuits and which is characterized in being convertible from its original nonconductive state to a conductive state to provide electrical connection between said first and second predetermined circuits to effect circuit programming, wherein said circuit programming element is an insulated-gate electrode structure element including source and drain regions of a first conductivity type provided in a surface region of a semiconductor substrate of a second conductivity type and a gate electrode, for receiving a gate potential, provided through an insulating film on a portion of said surface region existing between said source and drain regions, and wherein at least one of said source and drain regions is to be extended to activate said insulated-gate electrode structure element.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
67 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein said circuit programming element is characterized by being convertible from its original nonconductive state to a conductive state in response to laser radiation having a predetermined intensity for diffusing impurities from said low-resistance portions into said high-resistance portion to reduce the resistance of said high-resistance portion to thereby convert said circuit programming element to its conductive state.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
67 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 8, wherein said circuit programming element is characterized by being convertible from its original nonconductive state to a conductive state in response to laser radiation having a predetermined intensity for diffusing impurities from said insulating film into said high-resistance portion to reduce the resistance of said high-resistance portion to thereby convert said circuit programming element to its conductive state.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
58 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein said circuit programming element is characterized by being convertible from its original nonconductive state to a conductive state in response to ion implantation radiation having a predetermined intensity to dope said high-resistance portion to reduce its resistance to thereby convert said circuit programming element to its conductive state.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
67 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 27, wherein said circuit programming element is characterized by being convertible from its original nonconductive state to a conductive state in response to laser radiation having a predetermined intensity for diffusing impurities from said low-resistance portions into said high-resistance portion to reduce the resistance of said high-resistance portion to thereby convert said circuit programming element to its conductive state.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
67 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 27, wherein said circuit programming element is characterized by being convertible from its original nonconductive state to a conductive state in response to laser radiation having a predetermined intensity for diffusing impurities from said insulating film into said high-resistance portion to reduce the resistance of said high-resistance portion to thereby convert said circuit programming element into its conductive state.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
58 words
A programmable semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 27, wherein said circuit programming element is characterized by being convertible from its original nonconductive state to a conductive state in response to ion implantation radiation having a predetermined intensity to dope said high-resistance portion to reduce its resistance to thereby convert said circuit programming element to its conductive state.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1987-06-19 | 1987-12-19 | 1988-06-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1991-06-19 | 1991-12-19 | 1992-06-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1995-06-19 | 1995-12-19 | 1996-06-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |