Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110079650 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE HAVING WIRELESS COMMUNICATION FUNCTION - A semiconductor device includes a memory portion, a logic portion, and a plurality of signal lines for electrically connecting the memory portion and the logic portion. In the case where a transfer rate between the semiconductor device and a communication device is α [bps], a first clock frequency generated in the logic portion is Kα [Hz] (K is an integer of 1 or more), the number of reading signal lines of the plurality of signal lines is n (n is an integer of 2 or more), and a second clock frequency generated in the logic portion is Lα/n [Hz] (L is any integer satisfying L/n04-07-2011 | |
20110278564 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - An n-channel transistor or a p-channel transistor provided with a second gate electrode for controlling a threshold voltage in addition to a normal gate electrode is used for a complementary logic circuit. In addition, an insulated gate field-effect transistor with an extremely low off-state current is used as a switching element to control the potential of the second gate electrode. A channel formation region of the transistor which functions as a switching element includes a semiconductor material whose band gap is wider than that of a silicon semiconductor and whose intrinsic carrier density is lower than that of silicon. | 11-17-2011 |
20120037972 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - It is an object to give excellent data retention characteristics to a semiconductor device in which stored data is judged in accordance with the potential of a gate of a specified transistor, by achieving both reduction in variation of the threshold voltage of the transistor and data retention for a long time. Charge is held (data is stored) in a node electrically connected only to a source or a drain of a transistor whose channel region is formed using an oxide semiconductor. There may be a plurality of transistors whose sources or drains are electrically connected to the node. The oxide semiconductor has a wider band gap and a lower intrinsic carrier density than silicon. By using such an oxide semiconductor for the channel region of the transistor, the transistor with an extremely low off-state current (leakage current) can be realized. | 02-16-2012 |
20120044778 | Semiconductor Device, Method for Inspecting the Same, and Method for Driving the Same - A method for limiting writing of data to a specific memory cell without disconnecting a wiring of a memory cell array or placing a prober in contact with a memory cell, a row, or a column is provided. Row address data and column address data of a memory cell to which data cannot be written are stored in a register. Enable data which controls data writing is stored in the register. Next, in order to write data to a memory cell, row address data and column address data of a memory cell to which data is written, writing enable data, and the like are output from a logic circuit; thus, writing of data to a memory cell corresponding to the address data stored in the register is inhibited. | 02-23-2012 |
20120223304 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A semiconductor device includes an antenna functioning as a coil, a capacitor electrically connected to the antenna in parallel, a passive element forming a resonance circuit with the antenna and the capacitor by being electrically connected to the antenna and the capacitor in parallel, a first field effect transistor controlling whether the passive element is electrically connected to the antenna and the capacitor in parallel or not, and a memory circuit. The memory circuit includes a second field effect transistor which includes an oxide semiconductor layer where a channel is formed and in which a data signal is input to one of a source and a drain. The gate voltage of the first field effect transistor is set depending on the voltage of the other of the source and the drain of the second field effect transistor. | 09-06-2012 |
20120268164 | PROGRAMMABLE LSI - A low-power programmable LSI that can perform dynamic configuration is provided. The programmable LSI includes a plurality of logic elements. The plurality of logic elements each include a configuration memory. Each of the plurality of logic elements performs different arithmetic processing and changes an electrical connection between the logic elements, in accordance with the configuration data stored in the configuration memory. The configuration memory includes a set of a volatile storage circuit and a nonvolatile storage circuit. The nonvolatile storage circuit includes a transistor whose channel is formed in an oxide semiconductor layer and a capacitor whose one of a pair of electrodes is electrically connected to a node that is set in a floating state when the transistor is turned off. | 10-25-2012 |
20120274379 | SEMICONDUCTOR STORAGE DEVICE - A semiconductor storage device which stops and resumes the supply of power supply voltage without the necessity of saving and returning a data signal between a volatile storage device and a nonvolatile storage device is provided. In the nonvolatile semiconductor storage device, the volatile storage device and the nonvolatile storage device are provided without separation. Specifically, in the semiconductor storage device, data is held in a data holding portion connected to a transistor including a semiconductor layer containing an oxide semiconductor and a capacitor. The potential of the data held in the data holding portion is controlled by a data potential holding circuit and a data potential control circuit. The data potential holding circuit can output data without leaking electric charge, and the data potential control circuit can control the potential of the data held in the data holding portion without leaking electric charge by capacitive coupling through the capacitor. | 11-01-2012 |
20120286823 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A semiconductor device in which an input terminal is electrically connected to a first terminal of a first transmission gate; a second terminal of the first transmission gate is electrically connected to a first terminal of a first inverter and a second terminal of a functional circuit; a second terminal of the first inverter and a first terminal of the functional circuit are electrically connected to a first terminal of a second transmission gate; a second terminal of the second transmission gate is electrically connected to a first terminal of a second inverter and a second terminal of a clocked inverter; a second terminal of the second inverter and a first terminal of the clocked inverter are electrically connected to an output terminal; and the functional circuit includes a data holding portion between a transistor with small off-state current and a capacitor. | 11-15-2012 |
20120286851 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A register circuit is provided which can hold data even after being powered off and which does not require a save operation and a return operation. In a register circuit including a plurality of register component circuits, a first transistor with small off-state current, and a second transistor with small off-state current, a data holding portion is connected to one of a source and a drain of the first transistor and one of a source and a drain of the second transistor. Since the first transistor and the second transistor have a small off-state current, electric charge does not leak from the data holding portion, and data is held by the data holding portion even after the register circuit is powered off. Thus, a save operation and a return operation are not required. | 11-15-2012 |
20120293202 | PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC DEVICE - An object is to provide a programmable logic device which can hold configuration data even when a power supply potential is not supplied, has short start-up time of a logic block after the power is supplied, and can operate with low power. A transistor in a memory portion of a programmable switch includes a material which allows a sufficient reduction in off-state current of the transistor, such as an oxide semiconductor material which is a wide bandgap semiconductor. When the semiconductor material which allows a sufficient reduction in off-state current of the transistor is used, configuration data can be held even when a power supply potential is not supplied. | 11-22-2012 |
20120293206 | PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC DEVICE - An object is to provide a programmable logic device having logic blocks connected to each other by a programmable switch, where the programmable switch is characterized by an oxide semiconductor transistor incorporated therein. The extremely low off-state current of the oxide semiconductor transistor provides a function as a non-volatile memory due to its high ability to hold a potential of a gate electrode of a transistor which is connected to the oxide semiconductor transistor. The ability of the oxide semiconductor transistor to function as a non-volatile memory allows the configuration data for controlling the connection of the logic blocks to be maintained even in the absence of a power supply potential. Hence, the rewriting process of the configuration data at starting of the device can be omitted, which contributes to the reduction in power consumption of the device. | 11-22-2012 |
20120294066 | SEMICONDUCTOR STORAGE DEVICE - A semiconductor storage device which stops and resumes the supply of power supply voltage without the necessity of saving and returning a data signal between a volatile storage device and a nonvolatile storage device is provided. In the semiconductor storage device, data is held in a data holding portion connected to a transistor including a semiconductor layer containing an oxide semiconductor and a capacitor. The potential of the data held in the data holding portion is controlled by a data potential holding circuit and a data potential control circuit. The data potential holding circuit can output data without leaking electric charge, and the data potential control circuit can control the potential of the data held in the data holding portion without leaking electric charge by capacitive coupling through the capacitor. | 11-22-2012 |
20120311365 | PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC DEVICE - An object is to provide a programmable logic device configured to keep a connection state of logic circuits even while power supply voltage is stopped. The programmable logic device includes arithmetic circuits each of whose logic state can be changed; a configuration changing circuit changing the logic states of the arithmetic circuits; a power supply control circuit controlling supply of power supply voltage to the arithmetic circuits; a state memory circuit storing data on the logic states and data on states of the power supply voltage of the arithmetic circuits; and an arithmetic state control circuit controlling the configuration changing circuit and the power supply control circuit in accordance with the data stored in the state memory circuit. A transistor in which a channel formation region is formed in an oxide semiconductor layer is provided between the configuration changing circuit and each of the arithmetic circuits. | 12-06-2012 |
20130134416 | SEMICONDUCTOR DISPLAY DEVICE - In the case where a still image is displayed on a pixel portion having a pixel, for example, a driver circuit for controlling writing of an image signal having image data to the pixel portion stops by stopping supply of power supply voltage to the driver circuit, and writing of an image signal to the pixel portion is stopped. After the driver circuit stops, supply of power supply voltage to a panel controller for controlling the operation of the driver circuit and an image memory for storing the image data is stopped, and supply of power supply voltage to a CPU for collectively controlling the operation of the panel controller, the image memory, and a power supply controller for controlling supply of power supply voltage to a variety of circuits in a semiconductor display device is stopped. | 05-30-2013 |
20130140569 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A semiconductor device includes a first transistor which includes a first gate electrode below its oxide semiconductor layer and a second gate electrode above its oxide semiconductor layer, and a second transistor which includes a first gate electrode above its oxide semiconductor layer and a second gate electrode below its oxide semiconductor layer and is provided so as to at least partly overlap with the first transistor. In the semiconductor device, a conductive film serving as the second gate electrode of the first transistor and the second gate electrode of the second transistor is shared between the first transistor and the second transistor. Note that the second gate electrode not only controls the threshold voltages (Vth) of the first transistor and the second transistor but also has an effect of reducing interference of an electric field applied from respective first gate electrodes of the first transistor and the second transistor. | 06-06-2013 |
20130153890 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND DISPLAY DEVICE INCLUDING THE SAME - A first transistor and a second transistor are stacked. The first transistor and the second transistor have a gate electrode in common. At least one of semiconductor films used in the first transistor and the second transistor is an oxide semiconductor film. With the use of the oxide semiconductor film as the semiconductor film in the transistor, high field-effect mobility and high-speed operation can be achieved. Since the first transistor and the second transistor are stacked and have the gate electrode in common, the area of a region where the transistors are disposed can be reduced. | 06-20-2013 |
20130161607 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A semiconductor device with high productivity and high yield is provided. The semiconductor device includes a word line, a capacitor line, a first bit line, a second bit line, and a first transistor and a second transistor each of which includes a gate, a source, and a drain. The first transistor and the second transistor at least partly overlap with each other, and the gates of the first transistor and the second transistor are connected to the word line. A capacitor is formed between at least part of the capacitor line and each of the drains of the first transistor and the second transistor. The first bit line is connected to the source of the first transistor, and the second bit line is connected to the source of the second transistor. | 06-27-2013 |
20130229205 | PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC DEVICE - A programmable logic device includes a plurality of arithmetic circuits; a configuration changing circuit for changing a logic state of each of the plurality of arithmetic circuits by rewriting configuration data; a power supply control circuit for switching between start and stop of supply of power supply voltage to the plurality of arithmetic circuits; a state memory circuit for storing data on configuration, data on a state of power supply voltage, data on use frequency, and data on last use of each of the plurality of arithmetic circuits; and an arithmetic state control circuit for controlling the configuration changing circuit and the power supply control circuit in accordance with the data stored in the state memory circuit. One of the plurality of arithmetic circuits includes a transistor comprising an oxide semiconductor film in a channel formation region. | 09-05-2013 |
20130262828 | PROCESSOR AND METHOD FOR DRIVING THE SAME - A low-power processor that does not easily malfunction is provided. Alternatively, a low-power processor having high processing speed is provided. Alternatively, a method for driving the processor is provided. In power gating, the processor performs part of data backup in parallel with arithmetic processing and performs part of data recovery in parallel with arithmetic processing. Such a driving method prevents a sharp increase in power consumption in a data backup period and a data recovery period and generation of instantaneous voltage drops and inhibits increases of the data backup period and the data recovery period. | 10-03-2013 |
20130262896 | PROCESSOR AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE - Power consumption is reduced. A processor includes an instruction register unit in which data of a plurality of instructions is fetched; an instruction decoder unit in which each of the plurality of instructions is translated; a logic unit including a functional circuit which is supplied with a clock signal and a power source voltage, supplied with a data signal including the translated data of the instructions, and operates in accordance with the supplied data of the instructions; a data analysis unit in which the translated data is analyzed so as to calculate a non-operating period of the functional circuit, and a control signal is generated; and a control unit which controls the supply of the clock signal or both the clock signal and the power source voltage to the functional circuit in accordance with the control signal. | 10-03-2013 |
20130270551 | ISOLATOR CIRCUIT AND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - An isolator circuit capable of two-way electrical disconnection and a semiconductor device including the isolator circuit are provided. A data holding portion is provided in an isolator circuit without the need for additional provision of a data holding portion outside the isolator circuit, and data which is to be input to a logic circuit that is in an off state at this moment is stored in the data holding portion. The data holding portion may be formed using a transistor with small off-state current and a buffer. The buffer can include an inverter circuit and a clocked inverter circuit. | 10-17-2013 |
20130315011 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND DRIVING METHOD THEREOF - A semiconductor device in which a nonvolatile memory can normally operate and power saving can be performed with a P-state function, and a driving method of the semiconductor device are provided. The semiconductor device includes: a first circuit configured to control a state including a driving voltage and a clock frequency of a processor core; a first memory circuit and a second memory circuit which store state data; a second circuit generating a power supply voltage and a third circuit generating a clock which are electrically connected to the first circuit; and the processor core electrically connected to the second circuit and the third circuit through a switch. The processor cores includes: a volatile memory; and a nonvolatile memory transmitting and receiving data to/from the first memory. | 11-28-2013 |
20130326309 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND DRIVING METHOD THEREOF - A data saving period control circuit; a power gating control circuit; and a data processing circuit including a general-purpose register, an error correction code storage register, and an error correction code circuit are included. The general-purpose register and the error correction code storage register each include a volatile memory unit and a nonvolatile memory unit. The data saving period control circuit is a circuit for changing a length of a data saving period in which data output from the power gating control circuit is saved from the volatile memory unit to the nonvolatile memory unit included in the general-purpose register, depending on whether an error in an error correction code stored in the error correction code storage register is detected by the error correction code circuit. | 12-05-2013 |
20140003146 | SIGNAL PROCESSING CIRCUIT | 01-02-2014 |
20140015566 | PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC DEVICE - An object is to provide a programmable logic device having logic blocks connected to each other by a programmable switch, where the programmable switch is characterized by an oxide semiconductor transistor incorporated therein. The extremely low off-state current of the oxide semiconductor transistor provides a function as a non-volatile memory due to its high ability to hold a potential of a gate electrode of a transistor which is connected to the oxide semiconductor transistor. The ability of the oxide semiconductor transistor to function as a non-volatile memory allows the configuration data for controlling the connection of the logic blocks to be maintained even in the absence of a power supply potential. Hence, the rewriting process of the configuration data at starting of the device can be omitted, which contributes to the reduction in power consumption of the device. | 01-16-2014 |
20140117353 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A semiconductor device includes an antenna functioning as a coil, a capacitor electrically connected to the antenna in parallel, a passive element forming a resonance circuit with the antenna and the capacitor by being electrically connected to the antenna and the capacitor in parallel, a first field effect transistor controlling whether the passive element is electrically connected to the antenna and the capacitor in parallel or not, and a memory circuit. The memory circuit includes a second field effect transistor which includes an oxide semiconductor layer where a channel is formed and in which a data signal is input to one of a source and a drain. The gate voltage of the first field effect transistor is set depending on the voltage of the other of the source and the drain of the second field effect transistor. | 05-01-2014 |
20140286114 | Semiconductor Device, Method for Inspecting the Same, and Method for Driving the Same - A method for limiting writing of data to a specific memory cell without disconnecting a wiring of a memory cell array or placing a prober in contact with a memory cell, a row, or a column is provided. Row address data and column address data of a memory cell to which data cannot be written are stored in a register. Enable data which controls data writing is stored in the register. Next, in order to write data to a memory cell, row address data and column address data of a memory cell to which data is written, writing enable data, and the like are output from a logic circuit; thus, writing of data to a memory cell corresponding to the address data stored in the register is inhibited. | 09-25-2014 |
20140325171 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - The amount of data to be backed up and recovered is reduced when supply of power to a semiconductor device is stopped and restarted. A backup need determination circuit provided in the semiconductor device reads the kind of instruction decoded by a decoder and determines whether data needs to be backed up from a volatile register to a nonvolatile register. With a structure according to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to select necessary data from data used for operation in a logic circuit before the power supply is stopped and after the power supply is restarted. Data that is necessary after the power supply is restarted can be backed up from the volatile register to the nonvolatile register before the power supply is stopped. Data that is unnecessary is not backed up from the volatile register to the nonvolatile register before the power supply is stopped. | 10-30-2014 |