Semiconductor device

• US 10,396,856 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2015
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PEZY Computing K.K.
• Original Assignee: PEZY Computing K.K.
• Inventors: Saito, Motoaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Wendell, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US15/754,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20180248585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/063 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 5/003 Printed circuit coils
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/822 the substrate being a semiconductor, using silicon technology H01L21/8258 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/645 Inductive arrangements H01L23/647, H01L23/66 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/04 the substrate being a semiconductor body
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/266 One coil at each side, e.g. with primary and secondary coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication

Abstract

A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor chip and a second semiconductor chip The first semiconductor chip includes a transmission circuit input unit, a transmission circuit unit, and a transmission unit. The second semiconductor chip includes a reception unit, a reception circuit unit, and a reception circuit output unit. The transmission unit and the reception unit can communicate with each other in a non-contact manner. A transmission circuit unit input signal having a predetermined transmission-side potential is input into the transmission circuit unit. A reception circuit unit input signal is input into the reception circuit unit via the non-contact communication between the transmission unit and the reception unit. The reception circuit unit outputs a reception circuit unit output signal having a predetermined reception-side potential. The ratio of the reception-side potential to the transmission-side potential can be changed.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first semiconductor chip that includes a transmission circuit input unit, a transmission circuit unit connected to the transmission circuit input unit, and a transmission unit connected to the transmission circuit unit ; and

a second semiconductor chip that is disposed on or below the first semiconductor chip and includes a reception unit, a reception circuit unit connected to the reception unit, and a reception circuit output unit connected to the reception circuit unit,

wherein the transmission unit and the reception unit communicate with each other in a non-contact manner,

a transmission circuit unit input signal having a predetermined transmission-side potential is input into the transmission circuit unit via the transmission circuit input unit, the transmission circuit unit outputs a transmission circuit unit output signal corresponding to the transmission circuit unit input signal, and the transmission circuit unit output signal is input as a reception circuit unit input signal to the reception circuit unit via the non-contact communication between the transmission unit and the reception unit,

the reception circuit unit outputs a reception circuit unit output signal corresponding to a voltage of the reception circuit unit input signal and having a predetermined reception-side potential, to the reception circuit output unit,

a ratio of the reception-side potential to the transmission-side potential is changed,

the transmission unit is a transmission coil,

the reception unit is a reception coil,

the reception coil is a variable turn number reception coil capable of changing a number of turns,

the reception circuit unit has a reception coil turn number control unit that changes the number of turns of the variable turn number reception coil, and

the reception coil turn number control unit changes the number of turns of the variable turn number reception coil to change the ratio of the reception-side potential to the transmission-side potential.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein

the transmission coil is a variable turn number transmission coil capable of changing the number of turns,

the transmission circuit unit has a transmission coil turn number control unit that changes the number of turns of the variable turn number transmission coil, and

the transmission coil turn number control unit changes the number of turns of the variable turn number transmission coil to change the ratio of the reception-side potential to the transmission-side potential.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein

the reception coil has a plurality of reception coils,

the reception circuit unit has a reception coil selection unit that selects any one of the plurality of reception coils, and

the reception coil selection unit changes the reception coil to be selected, thereby changing the ratio of the reception-side potential to the transmission-side potential.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein

the transmission unit has a plurality of transmission coils,

the transmission circuit unit has a transmission coil selection unit that selects at least one of the plurality of coils, and

the transmission coil selection unit changes the transmission coil to be selected, thereby changing the ratio of the reception-side potential to the transmission-side potential.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the reception circuit unit has a reception circuit voltage variable amplification unit that amplifies the reception circuit unit input signal and outputs the reception circuit unit output signal and a variable amplification factor control unit that controls the reception circuit voltage variable amplification unit to change an amplification factor of the reception circuit voltage variable amplification unit, and

wherein the variable amplification factor control unit controls the reception circuit voltage variable amplification unit to change the amplification factor of the reception circuit voltage variable amplification unit, thereby changing the ratio of the reception-side potential to the transmission-side potential.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein

the transmission circuit unit has a transmission circuit variable current amplification unit that outputs a transmission unit output current signal having a current corresponding to the transmission-side potential to the transmission coil and a variable current control unit that controls the transmission circuit variable current amplification unit to change the current of the transmission unit output current signal, and

the variable current control unit controls the transmission circuit variable current amplification unit to change the current of the transmission unit output current signal, thereby changing the ratio of the reception-side potential to the transmission-side potential.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the semiconductor device includes a plurality of semiconductor chips, and

the semiconductor chips adjacent to each other in a vertical direction are bonded directly to each other and each of the first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor chip is one of the plurality of semiconductor chips.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of synaptic connection portions, each of which has a synaptic connection input unit and a synaptic connection output unit; and

a plurality of neuron portions that are connected to each other via the plurality of synaptic connection portions,

wherein the synaptic connection input unit is the transmission circuit input unit,

the synaptic connection output unit is the reception circuit output unit, and

a weighting coefficient of the synaptic connection portion is changed by changing the ratio of the transmission-side potential and the reception-side potential.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein

the weighting coefficient of the synaptic connection portion is changed according to the number of transmission circuit unit input signals input to the transmission circuit input unit per unit time.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein

the weighting coefficient of the synaptic connection portion is reduced with time while the transmission circuit unit input signal is not input to the transmission circuit input unit.