SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, TIRE, AND MOVING OBJECT

• US 20160332493A1
• Filed: 05/09/2016
• Published: 11/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: ATSUMI, Tomoaki, SAKAKURA, Masayuki, OHSHIMA, Kazuaki
• Granted Patent: US 10,035,386 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/009 having wheels on a trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0428 using passive wheel mounted resonance circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0452 Antenna structure, control or arrangement vehicle tyre mounted antennas H01Q1/2241
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0454 Means for changing operation mode, e.g. sleep mode, factory mode or energy save mode
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7869 having a semiconductor body comprising an oxide semiconductor material, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide, cadmium stannate

Abstract

To provide a circuit with low power consumption, a semiconductor device with low power consumption, a highly reliable semiconductor device, a tire whose performance is controlled, a moving object whose performance is controlled, or a moving object with a high degree of safety. A tire provided with a semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a circuit portion, an antenna, and a sensor element. The circuit portion includes a transistor. The transistor includes an oxide semiconductor. The sensor element is configured to measure the air pressure of the tire.

Claims

1. A tire comprising a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device comprising:

a circuit portion comprising a transistor;

an antenna electrically connected to the circuit portion; and

a sensor element electrically connected to the circuit portion,

wherein the transistor comprises an oxide semiconductor, and

wherein the sensor element is configured to measure an air pressure of the tire.

2. The tire according to claim 1,

wherein the semiconductor device is capable of wireless communication.

3. The tire according to claim 1,

wherein the semiconductor device is positioned on a side surface of the tire.

4. A tire comprising a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device comprising:

a first circuit portion comprising an analog-to-digital converter circuit and a sample-and-hold circuit;

an antenna electrically connected to the first circuit portion; and

a sensor element electrically connected to the first circuit portion,

wherein the sensor element is configured to measure an air pressure of the tire,

wherein the sample-and-hold circuit comprises a buffer circuit and a second circuit portion,

wherein the second circuit portion comprises a transistor and a capacitor,

wherein an analog potential is supplied to one of a source and a drain of the transistor through the buffer circuit,

wherein charge corresponding to the analog potential is held at the other of the source and the drain of the transistor and in the capacitor by turning off the transistor, and

wherein supply of a power supply voltage to the buffer circuit is stopped when the charge corresponding to the analog potential is held.

5. The tire according to claim 4,

wherein the transistor comprises an oxide semiconductor.

6. The tire according to claim 4,

wherein the semiconductor device is capable of wireless communication.

7. The tire according to claim 4,

wherein the semiconductor device is positioned on a side surface of the tire.

8. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first circuit portion comprising an analog-to-digital converter circuit and a plurality of sample-and-hold circuits;

an antenna electrically connected to the first circuit portion; and

a plurality of sensor elements electrically connected to the first circuit portion,

wherein each of the sample-and-hold circuits comprises a buffer circuit and a second circuit portion,

wherein the second circuit portion comprises a transistor and a capacitor,

wherein an analog potential is supplied to one of a source and a drain of the transistor through the buffer circuit,

wherein, in the second circuit portion, charge corresponding to the analog potential is held at the other of the source and the drain of the transistor and in the capacitor by turning off the transistor,

wherein supply of a power supply voltage to the buffer circuit is stopped when the charge corresponding to the analog potential is held, and

wherein the plurality of sensor elements are configured to measure two or more of a pressure, a temperature, strain, and acceleration.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 8,

wherein the semiconductor device is disposed in a sealed space.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 8,

wherein the analog-to-digital converter circuit comprises a comparator, a successive approximation register, and a digital-to-analog converter circuit.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 8,

wherein the transistor comprises an oxide semiconductor.

12. A tire comprising the semiconductor device according to claim 8.

13. A moving object comprising:

the semiconductor device according to claim 8; and

an interrogator,

wherein the semiconductor device is positioned inside a tire, and

wherein the interrogator is positioned outside the tire.

14. A moving object comprising:

the semiconductor device according to claim 8; and

an interrogator,

wherein a distance between the semiconductor device and the interrogator is greater than or equal to 5 cm and less than or equal to 2 m.

15. A semiconductor device comprising:

a circuit portion comprising a transistor;

an antenna electrically connected to the circuit portion; and

a sensor element electrically connected to the circuit portion,

wherein the semiconductor device is disposed in a sealed space,

wherein the sensor element is configured to measure an air pressure of a tire, and

wherein the transistor comprises an oxide semiconductor.

16. A moving object comprising:

the semiconductor device according to claim 15; and

an interrogator,

wherein the semiconductor device is positioned inside the tire, and

wherein the interrogator is positioned outside the tire.

17. A moving object comprising:

the semiconductor device according to claim 15; and

an interrogator,

wherein a distance between the semiconductor device and the interrogator is greater than or equal to 5 cm and less than or equal to 2 m.

18. A method for driving a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device comprising a wireless circuit comprising a circuit portion, an antenna, and m sensor elements, wherein the circuit portion comprises an analog-to-digital converter circuit and n sample-and-hold circuits, and wherein an x-th sensor element is connected to a corresponding sample-and-hold circuit of the n sample-and-hold circuits, the method comprising:

a first step in which analog potentials output from the m sensor elements are each input to a corresponding sample-and-hold circuit of the n sample-and-hold circuits,

a second step in which the analog potentials input to the n sample-and-hold circuits are held, and

a third step in which the analog potentials output from first to n-th sample-and-hold circuits are sequentially input to the analog-to-digital converter circuit,

wherein m is an integer,

wherein n is an integer, and

wherein x is an integer of greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to m.

19. The method for driving a semiconductor device, according to claim 18,

wherein a y-th sample-and-hold circuit comprises a buffer circuit and a y-th circuit,

wherein y is an integer of greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to n,

wherein the y-th circuit comprises a y-th transistor and a y-th capacitor,

wherein an analog potential is supplied to one of a source and a drain of the y-th transistor through the buffer circuit,

wherein charge corresponding to the analog potential is held at the other of the source and the drain of the y-th transistor and in the y-th capacitor by turning off the y-th transistor,

wherein supply of a power supply voltage to the buffer circuit is stopped when the charge corresponding to the analog potential is held, and

wherein the y-th transistor comprises an oxide semiconductor.

20. The method for driving a semiconductor device, according to claim 18,

wherein n is greater than or equal to m.

21. The method for driving a semiconductor device, according to claim 18,

wherein the semiconductor device is mounted on a tire, and

wherein at least one of the m sensor elements is configured to measure an air pressure of the tire.

22. The method for driving a semiconductor device, according to claim 18,

wherein the semiconductor device is positioned on a side surface of a tire.