eFuse
Sign in to saveAlso known as e-fuse, electronic fuse
In computing, an eFuse (electronic fuse) is a microscopic fuse put into a computer chip. This technology was invented by IBM in 2004 to allow for the dynamic real-time reprogramming of chips. In the abstract, computer logic is generally "etched" or "hard-wired" onto a chip and cannot be changed after the chip has finished being manufactured. By utilizing a set of eFuses, a chip manufacturer can allow for the circuits on a chip to change while it is in operation.
~3 min read
Article
7 sectionsContents
- Mechanism of action
- Uses
- Descriptive term
- Implementations
- Variants
- See also
- References
In computing, an eFuse (electronic fuse) is a microscopic fuse put into a computer chip. This technology was invented by IBM in 2004 to allow for the dynamic real-time reprogramming of chips. In the abstract, computer logic is generally "etched" or "hard-wired" onto a chip and cannot be changed after the chip has finished being manufactured. By utilizing a set of eFuses, a chip manufacturer can allow for the circuits on a chip to change while it is in operation.
== Mechanism of action == eFuses can be made out of silicon or metal traces. In both cases, they work (blow) by electromigration, the phenomenon where electric flow causes the conductor material to move. Although electromigration is generally undesired in chip design as it causes failures, eFuses are made of weak traces that are designed to fail before others do.