Method of using optical proximity effects to create electrically blown fuses with sub-critical dimension neck downs

• Main Authors: Narayan, Chandrasekhar, Brintzinger, Axel, Einspruch, Fred L, Haffner, Henning, Thomas, Alan C
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 20.08.2002

1. Field of the Invention A method of making a photolithography mask for use in creating an electrical fuse on a semiconductor structure comprises initially determining a pattern for a desired electrical fuse, with the pattern including a fuse portion of substantially constant width except for a localized narrowed region of the fuse portion at which the electrical fuse is designed to blow. The method then includes providing a photolithography mask substrate and creating on the photolithography mask substrate a fuse mask element adapted to absorb transmission of an energy beam. The fuse mask element has a first mask portion of substantially constant width corresponding to the desired electrical fuse pattern portion of substantially constant width, and a second mask portion corresponding to the localized narrowed region of the fuse portion. The second mask portion comprises either an additional mask element spaced from the first mask portion, a narrowed width portion, or a gap in the first mask portion. The second mask portion is of a configuration sufficient to create a latent image of the electrical fuse pattern, including the localized narrowed region of the fuse portion at which the electrical fuse is designed to blow, upon passing the energy beam through the photolithography mask and onto a resist layer. Preferably, the fuse portion of substantially constant width on the determined fuse pattern has a design width less than about 0.25 m, and wherein the localized narrowed region of the fuse portion has a design width less than the design width of the fuse portion.