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A method and circuit for implementing Efuse sense amplifier verification, and a design structure on which the subject circuit resides are provided. A first predefined resistor value is sensed relative to a reference resistor. A second predefined resistor value is sensed relative to a reference resistor. Responsive to identifying a respective sense amplifier output resulting from the sensing steps of an unblown eFuse and a blown eFuse, valid operation of the sense amplifier is identified.

Inventors: Anthony Gus Aipperspach, Phil Christopher Felice Paone, Brian Joy Reed, David Edward Schmitt, Gregory John Uhlmann
Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
Primary Examiner: Naum B Levin
Attorney: Joan Pennington
Current U.S. Classification: 716/106; 326/38; 365/96; 365/225.7

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Citations

Cited PatentFiling dateIssue dateOriginal AssigneeTitle
US5514980May 31, 1995May 7, 1996Integrated Device Technology, Inc.High resolution circuit and method for sensing antifuses
US6876594Dec 19, 2003Apr 5, 2005Texas Instruments IncorporatedIntegrated circuit with programmable fuse array
US7136322Aug 5, 2004Nov 14, 2006Analog Devices, Inc.Programmable semi-fusible link read only memory and method of margin testing same
US20090175106Jan 12, 2009International Business Machines CorporationAPPARATUS FOR IMPLEMENTING EFUSE SENSE AMPLIFIER TESTING WITHOUT BLOWING THE EFUSE
US20090201756Feb 11, 2008Method and Circuit for Implementing Enhanced Efuse Sense Circuit
US20090262566Dec 20, 2007SIDENSE CORP.MASK PROGRAMMABLE ANTI-FUSE ARCHITECTURE

Claims

1. A circuit for implementing sense amplifier verification comprising:

a sense amplifier;

a first pull-up resistor connected between a positive voltage supply rail and a first sensing node of the sense amplifier;

a second pull-up resistor connected between a positive voltage supply rail and a second sensing node of the sense amplifier;

a first predefined resistor and a second predefined resistor coupled to the first sensing node; said first predefined resistor having a first resistance to impersonate a blown fuse and said second predefined resistor having a second resistance to impersonate an unblown fuse;
a reference resistor coupled to the second sensing node;
a first control transistor connected between said first predefined resistor and the first sensing node;
a second control transistor connected between said second predefined resistor and the first sensing node;
a reference control transistor connected between said reference resistor and the second sensing node;
a first control signal applied to said first control transistor to connect said first predefined resistor to the first sensing node, and a reference control signal applied to said reference control transistor to connect said reference resistor to the second sensing node for sensing said first predefined resistor relative to said reference resistor;
a second control signal applied to said second control transistor to connect said second predefined resistor to the first sensing node, and said reference control signal applied to said reference control transistor to connect said reference resistor to the second sensing node for sensing said second predefined resistor relative to said reference resistor; and
the sense amplifier responsive to identifying a respective sense amplifier output of an unblown eFuse and a blown eFuse, identifying valid sense amplifier operation.

2. The circuit for implementing sense amplifier verification as recited in claim 1 includes the sense amplifier responsive to failing to identify a respective sense amplifier output of an unblown eFuse and a blown eFuse, identifying out-of-specification sense amplifier operation.

3. The circuit for implementing sense amplifier verification as recited in claim 1 includes a respective select transistor connected to each eFuse, and a control signal applied to said respective select transistor for disconnecting each eFuse from the sense amplifier.

4. The circuit for implementing sense amplifier verification as recited in claim 1 wherein said first predefined resistor corresponds to a predefined unblown eFuse resistance and said second predefined resistor corresponds to a predefined blown eFuse value.

5. The circuit for implementing sense amplifier verification as recited in claim 4 wherein said first predefined resistor corresponding to said predefined unblown eFuse resistance is less than said reference resistor; and said second predefined resistor corresponding to said predefined blown eFuse value is greater than said reference resistor.

6. A design structure embodied in a machine readable storage device used in a design process, the design structure comprising:

a circuit for implementing sense amplifier verification including a sense amplifier;

a first pull-up resistor connected between a positive voltage supply rail and a first sensing node of the sense amplifier;

a second pull-up resistor connected between a positive voltage supply rail and a second sensing node of the sense amplifier;

a first predefined resistor and a second predefined resistor coupled to the first sensing node; said first predefined resistor having a first resistance to impersonate a blown fuse and said second predefined resistor having a second resistance to impersonate an unblown fuse;
a reference resistor coupled to the second sensing node;
a first control transistor connected between said first predefined resistor and the first sensing node;
a second control transistor connected between said second predefined resistor and the first sensing node;
a reference control transistor connected between said reference resistor and the second sensing node;
a first control signal applied to said first control transistor to connect said first predefined resistor to the first sensing node, and a reference control signal applied to said reference control transistor to connect said reference resistor to the second sensing node for sensing said first predefined resistor relative to said reference resistor;
a second control signal applied to said second control transistor to connect said second predefined resistor to the first sensing node, and said reference control signal applied to said reference control transistor to connect said reference resistor to the second sensing node for sensing said second predefined resistor relative to said reference resistor; and
the sense amplifier responsive to identifying a respective sense amplifier output of an unblown eFuse and a blown eFuse, identifying valid sense amplifier operation.

7. The design structure of claim 6, wherein the design structure comprises a netlist, which describes the circuit.

8. The design structure of claim 6, wherein the design structure resides on storage medium as a data format used for the exchange of layout data of integrated circuits.

9. The design structure of claim 6, wherein the design structure includes at least one of test data files, characterization data, verification data, or design specifications.

10. The design structure of claim 6, includes the sense amplifier responsive to failing to identify a respective sense amplifier output of an unblown eFuse and a blown eFuse, identifying out-of-specification sense amplifier operation.

11. The design structure of claim 6, includes a respective select transistor connected to each eFuse, and a control signal applied to said respective select transistor for disconnecting each eFuse from the sense amplifier.

12. The design structure of claim 6, wherein said first predefined resistor corresponds to a predefined unblown eFuse resistance and said second predefined resistor corresponds to a predefined blown eFuse value.

Drawings