DC/DC CONVERTER, POWER SUPPLY CIRCUIT, AND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE

• US 20110304311A1
• Filed: 06/07/2011
• Published: 12/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Takahashi, Kei, Koyama, Jun, Ishii, Masato
• Granted Patent: US 8,710,762 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/311
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1225 with semiconductor materials not belonging to the group IV of the periodic table, e.g. InGaZnO
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1251 comprising TFTs having a different architecture, e.g. top- and bottom gate TFTs
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/155 using semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

Provided is a DC-DC converter with improved power conversion efficiency. A transistor which is incorporated in the DC-DC converter and functions as a switching element for controlling output power includes, in its channel formation region, a semiconductor material having a wide band gap and significantly small off current compared with silicon. The transistor further comprises a back gate electrode, in addition to a general gate electrode, and a back gate control circuit for controlling a potential applied to the back gate electrode in accordance with the output power from the DC-DC converter. The control of the potential applied to the back gate electrode by the back gate control circuit enables the threshold voltage to decrease the on-state resistance when the output power is high and to increase the off-state current when the output power is low.

Claims

1. A DC-DC converter comprising:

a power conversion circuit comprising a transistor and a constant-voltage generation circuit,

wherein the constant-voltage generation circuit is configured to be input with a first voltage when the transistor is in an ON state,

wherein the constant-voltage generation circuit is configured to be input with a second voltage when the transistor is in an OFF state, and

wherein a threshold voltage of the transistor is controlled according to a magnitude of a power output from the constant-voltage generation circuit.

2. The DC-DC converter according to claim 1,

wherein the transistor comprises a gate electrode and a back gate electrode with a semiconductor film interposed therebetween, and

wherein the threshold voltage of the transistor is controlled by a potential applied to the back gate electrode.

3. The DC-DC converter according to claim 1,

wherein the threshold voltage is shifted in a negative direction when the power output from the constant-voltage generation circuit exceeds a predetermined value, and

wherein the threshold voltage is shifted in a positive direction when the power output from the constant-voltage generation circuit is equal to or smaller than the predetermined value.

4. The DC-DC converter according to claim 2, further comprising a back gate control circuit,

wherein the potential applied to the back gate electrode is controlled by the back gate control circuit.

5. The DC-DC converter according to claim 2,

wherein the semiconductor film has a band gap larger than silicon.

6. The DC-DC converter according to claim 2,

wherein the semiconductor film comprises an oxide semiconductor.

7. A semiconductor device comprising the DC-DC converter according to claim 1.

8. A DC-DC converter comprising:

a constant-voltage generation circuit;

a transistor electrically connected to the constant-voltage generation circuit, the transistor comprising a gate electrode and a back gate electrode with a semiconductor film interposed therebetween;

an output voltage control circuit which is configured to control a ratio of an ON time to OFF time of the transistor; and

a back gate control circuit configured to control a potential applied to the back gate electrode,

wherein the back gate control circuit comprises;

a current detection circuit for detecting an amount of current output from the constant-voltage generation circuit; and

a power-voltage conversion circuit for determining the potential applied to the back gate electrode from the amount of the current output from the constant-voltage generation circuit and an output voltage from the constant-voltage generation circuit.

9. The DC-DC converter according to claim 8,

wherein the current detection circuit comprises:

a current trans sensor;

a rectifier electrically connected to the current trans sensor; and

an integrating circuit connected to the rectifier.

10. The DC-DC converter according to claim 9,

wherein the current trans sensor is configured to generate current corresponding to the amount of the current output from the constant-voltage generation circuit.

11. The DC-DC converter according to claim 9,

wherein the rectifier is configured to rectify the current generated by the current trans sensor, and

wherein the integrating circuit is configured to convert the rectified current to form a voltage which is output to the power-voltage conversion circuit for determining the potential applied to the back gate electrode.

12. The DC-DC converter according to claim 9,

wherein the integrating circuit comprises a resistor and a capacitor which are connected in parallel.

13. The DC-DC converter according to claim 8,

wherein the semiconductor film has a band gap larger than silicon.

14. The DC-DC converter according to claim 8,

wherein the semiconductor film comprises an oxide semiconductor.

15. A semiconductor device comprising the DC-DC converter according to claim 8.

16. A DC-DC converter comprising:

a constant-voltage generation circuit;

a transistor electrically connected to the constant-voltage generation circuit, the transistor comprising a gate electrode and a back gate electrode with a semiconductor film interposed therebetween;

an output voltage control circuit which is configured to control a ratio of an ON time to OFF time of the transistor; and

a back gate control circuit configured to control a potential applied to the back gate electrode,

wherein the back gate control circuit comprises;

a current detection circuit for detecting an amount of current output from the constant-voltage generation circuit and converting the current into a voltage; and

a power-voltage conversion circuit for determining the potential applied to the back gate electrode from the amount of the current output from the constant-voltage generation circuit and an output voltage from the constant-voltage generation circuit.

17. The DC-DC converter according to claim 16,

wherein the power-voltage conversion circuit comprises:

a comparator;

an inverter;

a power source; and

a second transistor and a third transistor.

18. The DC-DC converter according to claim 17,

wherein the second transistor comprises a gate electrode electrically connected to the comparator, a first electrode electrically connected to the back gate electrode of the transistor, and a second electrode electrically connected to the power source, and

wherein the third transistor comprises a gate electrode electrically connected to the inverter, a first electrode electrically connected to the back gate electrode of the transistor, and a second electrode.

19. The DC-DC converter according to claim 17,

wherein the comparator is configured to be input with the voltage output from the current detection circuit and a reference voltage,

wherein the comparator is configured to generate a high level voltage when the voltage is larger than the reference voltage, and

wherein the comparator is further configured to generate a low level voltage when the voltage is equal to or smaller than the reference voltage.

20. The DC-DC converter according to claim 19,

wherein the comparator is configured to input one of the high level voltage and the low level voltage to the gate electrode of the third transistor through the inverter.

21. The DC-DC converter according to claim 19,

wherein the comparator is configured to input one of the high level voltage and the low level voltage to the gate electrode of the second transistor.

22. A semiconductor device comprising the DC-DC converter according to claim 16.