Semiconductor device, IC card, IC tag, RFID, transponder, bills, securities, passport, electronic apparatus, bag, and clothes

• US 7,663,473 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2005
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Koyama, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman; Brian A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Nam V
• Application Number:
  US11/044,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20050180187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,845 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.1, 340/10.34, 340/572.7, 340/572.1, 365/100, 365/185.05, 365/185.04, 365/185.28, 363/30, 235/494, 235/492, 327/536, 327/535, 345/212, 257/324
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/073 Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 17/12 using field-effect devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1214 comprising a plurality of TFTs formed on a non-semiconducting substrate, e.g. driving circuits for AMLCDs
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1266 the substrate on which the devices are formed not being the final device substrate, e.g. using a temporary substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/13 combined with thin-film or thick-film passive components

Abstract

A contactless ID chip to which a signal is inputted from an antenna by a wireless means, where data can be written only once. In the contactless ID chip having a nonvolatile EEPROM, data indicating whether writing is performed to the EEPROM is written simultaneously with basic data writing, and once writing is performed to the EEPROM, other data cannot be written thereto.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a modulation circuit, a demodulation circuit, a logic circuit, a nonvolatile memory circuit, a level shift circuit, a control circuit, and an antenna circuit, which are formed over an insulating substrate,

wherein the modulation circuit and the demodulation circuit are electrically connected to the antenna circuit,

wherein the demodulation circuit is connected to the logic circuit,

wherein the logic circuit is connected to the control circuit and the level shift circuit,

wherein a signal inputted from the antenna circuit is operated by the logic circuit and inputted to the level shift circuit,

wherein the nonvolatile memory circuit includes means for storing an output signal of the level shift circuit,

wherein the nonvolatile memory circuit is for storing data by charge injection,

wherein the control circuit writes data to the nonvolatile memory circuit only once, and

wherein the nonvolatile memory circuit writes data in accordance with the instruction of the control circuit and the level shift circuit.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein an element constituting the nonvolatile memory circuit stores data by charge injection into a floating gate.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein an element constituting the nonvolatile memory circuit stores data by charge injection into a gate insulating film.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a power supply used by the nonvolatile memory circuit for storing data is obtained by rectifying and boosting the signal outputted from the antenna circuit.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a power supply used by the nonvolatile memory circuit for storing data is obtained from an external high voltage power supply.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the modulation circuit, the demodulation circuit, the logic circuit, and the nonvolatile memory circuit is constituted by a thin film transistor.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the insulating substrate is selected from the group consisting of a glass substrate, a plastic substrate and a film insulator.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna circuit is formed over at least one of the modulation circuit, the demodulation circuit, the logic circuit, and the nonvolatile memory circuit.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a signal inputted to the antenna circuit is a wireless signal.

10. A product having the semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of an IC card, an IC tag, an RFID, a transponder, a bill, a security, a passport, an electronic apparatus, a bag, and clothes.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a thin film transistor in the logic circuit and a thin film transistor in the nonvolatile memory circuit are formed simultaneously.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the logic circuit includes at least a switch and a volatile memory circuit.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein in the case of the switch is on, the signal is outputted to the level shift circuit.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit writes only first data to the nonvolatile memory circuit.

15. A semiconductor device comprising:

a modulation circuit, a demodulation circuit, a logic circuit, a nonvolatile memory circuit, a level shift circuit, a control circuit, and an antenna circuit, which are formed over an insulating substrate,

wherein the modulation circuit and the demodulation circuit are electrically connected to the antenna circuit,

wherein the demodulation circuit is connected to the logic circuit,

wherein the logic circuit is connected to the control circuit and the level shift circuit,

wherein a signal inputted from the antenna circuit is operated by the logic circuit and inputted to the level shift circuit,

wherein the nonvolatile memory circuit includes means for storing an output signal of the level shift circuit,

wherein the nonvolatile memory circuit is for storing data by charge injection,

wherein the control circuit controls whether data can be written to the nonvolatile memory circuit or not depending on the data stored in the nonvolatile memory circuit, and

wherein the nonvolatile memory circuit writes data in accordance with the instruction of the control circuit and the level shift circuit.

16. The semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein an element constituting the nonvolatile memory circuit stores data by charge injection into a floating gate.

17. The semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein an element constituting the nonvolatile memory circuit stores data by charge injection into a gate insulating film.

18. The semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein a power supply used by the nonvolatile memory circuit for storing data is obtained by rectifying and boosting the signal outputted from the antenna circuit.

19. The semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein a power supply used by the nonvolatile memory circuit for storing data is obtained from an external high voltage power supply.

20. The semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein at least one of the modulation circuit, the demodulation circuit, the logic circuit, and the nonvolatile memory circuit is constituted by a thin film transistor.

21. The semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein the insulating substrate is selected from the group consisting of a glass substrate, a plastic substrate and a film insulator.

22. The semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein the antenna circuit is formed over at least one of the modulation circuit, the demodulation circuit, the logic circuit, and the nonvolatile memory circuit.

23. The semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein a signal inputted to the antenna circuit is a wireless signal.

24. A product having the semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of an IC card, an IC tag, an RFID, a transponder, a bill, a security, a passport, an electronic apparatus, a bag, and clothes.

25. The semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein a thin film transistor in the logic circuit and a thin film transistor in the nonvolatile memory circuit are formed simultaneously.

26. The semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein the logic circuit includes at least a switch and a volatile memory circuit.

27. The semiconductor device according to claim 26, wherein in the case of the switch is on, the signal is outputted to the level shift circuit.

28. The semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein the control circuit writes only first data to the nonvolatile memory circuit.

29. A semiconductor device comprising:

an antenna circuit;

a modulation circuit electrically connected to the antenna circuit;

a demodulation circuit electrically connected to the antenna circuit;

a logic circuit electrically connected to the demodulation circuit;

a nonvolatile memory circuit having means for storing an output signal of the logic circuit and for storing data by charge injection;

a control circuit capable of writing data to the nonvolatile memory circuit only once, and

a level shift circuit electrically connected to the nonvolatile memory circuit,

wherein the logic circuit is connected to the control circuit and the level shift circuit,

wherein a signal inputted from the antenna circuit is operated by the logic circuit and inputted to the level shift circuit, and

wherein the nonvolatile memory circuit writes data in accordance with the instruction of the control circuit and the level shift circuit.

30. The semiconductor device according to claim 29, wherein an element constituting the nonvolatile memory circuit stores data by charge injection into a floating gate.

31. The semiconductor device according to claim 29, wherein an element constituting the nonvolatile memory circuit stores data by charge injection into a gate insulating film.

32. The semiconductor device according to claim 29, wherein a power supply used by the nonvolatile memory circuit for storing data is obtained by rectifying and boosting the signal outputted from the antenna circuit.

33. The semiconductor device according to claim 29, wherein a power supply used by the nonvolatile memory circuit for storing data is obtained from an external high voltage power supply.

34. The semiconductor device according to claim 29, wherein at least one of the modulation circuit, the demodulation circuit, the logic circuit, and the nonvolatile memory circuit is constituted by a thin film transistor.

35. The semiconductor device according to claim 29, wherein the insulating substrate is selected from the group consisting of a glass substrate, a plastic substrate and a film insulator.

36. The semiconductor device according to claim 29, wherein the antenna circuit is formed over at least one of the modulation circuit, the demodulation circuit, the logic circuit, and the nonvolatile memory circuit.

37. The semiconductor device according to claim 29, wherein a signal inputted to the antenna circuit is a wireless signal.

38. A product having the semiconductor device according to claim 29, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of an IC card, an IC tag, an REID, a transponder, a bill, a security, a passport, an electronic apparatus, a bag, and clothes.

39. The semiconductor device according to claim 29, wherein a thin film transistor in the logic circuit and a thin film transistor in the nonvolatile memory circuit are formed simultaneously.

40. The semiconductor device according to claim 29, wherein the logic circuit includes at least a switch and a volatile memory circuit.

41. The semiconductor device according to claim 40, wherein in the case of the switch is on, the signal is outputted to the level shift circuit.

42. The semiconductor device according to claim 29, wherein the control circuit writes only first data to the nonvolatile memory circuit.