Semiconductor device, module, and electronic device including a conversion circuit having a second switch rendered conductive together with a first switch

• US 7,608,810 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamada, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Que T
• Application Number:
  US11/996,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20090032682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 250/214.R, 250/214.1, 250/208.1, 250/214.LS, 250/214.SW, 348241-294, 348302-308, 257290-292, 257/440, 358/530, 358436-448, 358/468
• US Class Current: 250/214.00R
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/823456 gate conductors with different shapes, lengths or dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0248 for electrical or thermal protection, e.g. electrostatic discharge [ESD] protection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/092 complementary MIS field-effect transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/146 Imager structures
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/102 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/6871 the output circuit comprising more than one controlled field-effect transistor
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/0018 Special modifications or use of the back gate voltage of a FET
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/60 Noise processing, e.g. detecting, correcting, reducing or removing noise

Abstract

The breakdown voltage between the potential of a terminal and the ground potential (or power supply potential) is improved by increasing the gate width of an MOS transistor included in a switch. Accordingly, another switch and the like are protected even when surge is applied to the terminal. By increasing the gate width of the MOS transistor included in the switch, the size of the other switch does not have to be increased. Therefore, variation in the potential at a node occurring when the other switch attains a non-conductive state from a conductive state can be suppressed. Therefore, a semiconductor device having the electrostatic breakdown voltage improved without influence on processing carried out based on an input potential from an external source, a module including a plurality of such semiconductor devices, and an electronic device including such a module can be provided.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

an input terminal to receive an input potential, and

a conversion circuit to receive and shift a first signal to output a second signal based on said input potential as a reference, wherein said conversion circuit includes;

a capacitor connected between a first node to which said first signal is input and a second node from which said second signal is output,

a first switch provided between said second node and an intermediate node, and

a second switch provided between said intermediate node and said input terminal, rendered conductive together with said first switch.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said conversion circuit holds the reference of said second signal at said input potential.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a photoelectric converter to convert incident light into an electrical signal to output said first signal.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said first switch includes a first MOS transistor connected between said second node and said intermediate node,

said second switch includes a second MOS transistor connected between said input terminal and said intermediate node, receiving a constant potential at a backgate, and

said second MOS transistor has a gate width larger than the gate width of said first MOS transistor.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 4, further comprising a control circuit to control said first and second MOS transistors,

wherein said control circuit is arranged to set said second MOS transistor to a non-conductive state after setting said first MOS transistor to a non-conductive state.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein said control circuit is arranged to set said first MOS transistor to a conductive state after setting said second MOS transistor to a conductive state.

7. A module, comprising:

a plurality of semiconductor devices, each of said plurality of semiconductor devices including;

an input terminal to receive an input potential, and

a conversion circuit to receive and shift a first signal to output a second signal based on said input potential as a reference, wherein said conversion circuit includes;

a capacitor connected between a first node to which said first signal is input and a second node from which said second signal is output,

a first switch provided between said second node and an intermediate node, and

a second switch provided between said intermediate node and said input terminal, rendered conductive together with said first switch.

8. The module according to claim 7, wherein said conversion circuit holds the reference of said second signal at said input potential.

9. The module according to claim 7, each of said plurality of semiconductor devices further including a photoelectric converter to convert incident light into an electrical signal to output said first signal.

10. The module according to claim 7, wherein said first switch includes a first MOS transistor connected between said second node and said intermediate node,

said second switch includes a second MOS transistor connected between said input terminal and said intermediate node, receiving a constant potential at a backgate, and

said second MOS transistor has a gate width larger than the gate width of said first MOS transistor.

11. The module according to claim 10, each of said plurality of semiconductor devices further including a control circuit to control said first and second MOS transistors,

wherein said control circuit is arranged to set said second MOS transistor to a non-conductive state after setting said first MOS transistor to a non-conductive state.

12. The module according to claim 11, wherein said control circuit is arranged to set said first MOS transistor to a conductive state after setting said second MOS transistor to a conductive state.

13. An electronic device, comprising:

a module including a plurality of semiconductor devices, each of said plurality of semiconductor devices including;

an input terminal to receive an input potential, and

a conversion circuit to receive and shift a first signal to output a second signal based on said input potential as a reference, wherein said conversion circuit includes;

a capacitor connected between a first node to which said first signal is input and a second node from which said second signal is output,

a first switch provided between said second node and an intermediate node, and

a second switch provided between said intermediate node and said input terminal, rendered conductive together with said first switch.

14. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein said conversion circuit holds the reference of said second signal at said input potential.

15. The electronic device according to claim 13, each of said plurality of semiconductor devices further including a photoelectric converter to convert incident light into an electrical signal to output said first signal.

16. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein

said first switch includes a first MOS transistor connected between said second node and said intermediate node,

said second switch includes a second MOS transistor connected between said input terminal and said intermediate node, receiving a constant potential at a backgate, and

said second MOS transistor has a gate width larger than the gate width of said first MOS transistor.

17. The electronic device according to claim 16, each of said plurality of semiconductor devices further including a control circuit to control said first and second MOS transistors,

wherein said control circuit is arranged to set said second MOS transistor to a non-conductive state after setting said first MOS transistor to a non-conductive state.

18. The electronic device according to claim 17, wherein said control circuit is arranged to set said first MOS transistor to a conductive state after setting said second MOS transistor to a conductive state.