Fuse arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10032591-B2
Application number	US-201615333231-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2016
Priority date	Jul 19, 2013
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

A fuse arrangement, including: at least a first terminal, a second terminal, and a fuse, wherein the first terminal and the second terminal may be electrically connected via the fuse, and wherein the fuse may be configured to be under fuse internal mechanical stress to deform the fuse along its width direction in case it is broken.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuse arrangement, comprising:
a first fuse, the first fuse comprising:
a first terminal, a second terminal, and a first fuse filament each arranged over a front surface of a substrate carrier, wherein the first terminal is spaced apart from the second terminal at least in a first direction parallel to the front surface of the carrier,
wherein in an intact state, the first fuse filament extends between the first terminal and the second terminal along a non-straight path parallel to the front surface of the carrier and
wherein a first portion of the first fuse filament that contacts the first terminal and a second portion of the first fuse filament that contacts the second terminal each extends in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, and
wherein in a broken state, the first fuse filament comprises a first broken fuse filament part connected to the first terminal and a second broken fuse filament part connected to the second terminal, wherein the first broken fuse filament part and the second broken fuse filament part are electrically and physically separated from each other and each extend substantially parallel to the front surface of the carrier.

2. The fuse arrangement of claim 1 , wherein in the intact state the first fuse filament is under fuse internal mechanical stress, the fuse internal mechanical stress applying an internal force to cause the first fuse filament to deform in a case where the fuse is broken.

3. The fuse arrangement of claim 1 , wherein in the broken state, the first and second broken fuse filament parts extend substantially parallel to each other.

4. The fuse arrangement of claim 1 , wherein in the broken state, each of the first and second broken fuse filament parts extends in a substantially straight line.

5. The fuse arrangement of claim 4 , wherein in the broken state, each of the first and second broken fuse filament parts extends substantially in the second direction.

6. The fuse arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the first fuse filament provides an electrical connection between the first and second terminals.

7. The fuse arrangement of claim 1 ,
wherein the carrier is a semiconductor wafer.

8. The fuse arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second fuse, the second fuse comprising:
a third terminal, a fourth terminal, and a second fuse filament each arranged over the front surface of a carrier, wherein the third terminal is spaced apart from the fourth terminal at least in the first direction;
wherein in an intact state, the second fuse filament extends between the third terminal and the fourth terminal along a non-straight path parallel to the front surface of the carrier and wherein a first portion of the second fuse filament contacting the third terminal and a second portion of the second fuse filament contacting the fourth terminal each extends in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction, and
wherein in a broken state, the second fuse filament comprises a first broken fuse filament part connected to the third terminal and a second broken fuse filament part connected to the fourth terminal, wherein the first broken fuse filament part and the second broken fuse filament part are electrically and physically separated from each other and each extends substantially parallel to the front surface.

9. The fuse arrangement of claim 8 ,
wherein the third direction is parallel to the second direction.

10. The fuse arrangement of claim 8 , wherein the third direction is in a direction opposite to the second direction.

11. The fuse arrangement of claim 10 , wherein in the broken state the first broken fuse filament part and the second broken fuse filament part of the second fuse extend in the third direction.

12. The fuse arrangement of claim 8 , wherein in a case where the first fuse and the second fuse are each in a broken state, the first broken fuse filament part of the first fuse electrically connects to the first broken fuse filament part of the second fuse.

13. The fuse arrangement of claim 12 , wherein in the case where the first fuse and the second fuse are each in a broken state, the second broken fuse filament part of the first fuse electrically connects to the second broken fuse filament part of the second fuse.

14. The fuse arrangement of claim 8 ,
wherein the first fuse filament and/or the second fuse filament comprises a predetermined breaking point.

15. The fuse arrangement of claim 8 ,
wherein the first fuse filament and/or the second fuse filament comprises a metal.

16. The fuse arrangement of claim 8 ,
wherein the first fuse filament and/or the second fuse filament comprises doped silicon.

17. The fuse arrangement of claim 8 , further comprising:
a gap between a portion of the first fuse filament and the carrier.

18. The fuse arrangement of claim 8 ,
wherein at least a portion of the first fuse filament and/or the second fuse filament has a low adhesion to the carrier so that the first fuse filament and/or second fuse filament is released from the carrier in case the fuse is broken.

19. The fuse arrangement of claim 8 ,
wherein the first broken fuse filament part and the second broken fuse filament part of the first fuse and/or second fuse are each deformed along a deformation vector,
wherein a vector component of the deformation vector is parallel to the second direction.

20. The fuse arrangement of claim 8 , wherein in the intact state, the first fuse filament and/or the second fuse filament is curved.

21. The fuse arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the first terminal and the second terminal of the first fuse are arranged on the front surface of the carrier.

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Gratz Achim

Classifications

• H01H85/36 Primary

  Means for applying mechanical tension to fusible member · CPC title

• H01H85/30

  Means for indicating condition of fuse structurally associated with the fuse · CPC title

• H01H85/0241

  Structural association of a fuse and another component or apparatus (switches with built-in fuses H01H9/10, spark-gap arresters H01H85/44, transformers and inductances H01F27/402, capacitors H01G2/14, lamps H01K1/66, semiconductors H10W20/493 or H10W42/80) · CPC title

• H01H2085/0283

  Structural association with a semiconductor device · CPC title

• H01H85/54

  Protective devices wherein the fuse is carried, held, or retained by an intermediate or auxiliary part removable from the base, or used as sectionalisers · CPC title