Mark Edward Jensen

US Patent:

6876594, Apr 5, 2005

Filed:

Dec 19, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/739520

Inventors:

Roger C. Griesmer - Murphy TX, US
Robert L. Pitts - Dallas TX, US
Bryan D. Sheffield - Rowlett TX, US
Mark J. Jensen - Allen TX, US
Vinod J. Menezes - Bangalore, IN

Assignee:

Texas Instruments Incorporated - Dallas TX

International Classification:

G11C007/00

US Classification:

3652257, 365200, 365 96

Abstract:

An integrated circuit (IC). The integrated circuit comprises an array () of data cells arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns. Each of the data cells comprises an electrically programmable fuse (), and each electrically programmable fuse comprises a current path for providing a first digital state when the current path is left intact and for providing a second digital state when the current path is destroyed. Each row of the plurality of rows comprises at least one cell reserved for providing a protection indicator for the row, wherein the protection indicator is selected from a set consisting of read protection and write protection. The integrated circuit also comprises control circuitry () for selectively destroying the programmable fuse in selected ones of the data cells in a programmation mode. The integrated circuit also comprises control circuitry () for reading selected ones of the data cells in a read mode.