Semiconductor device

• US 8,432,254 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2009
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Koyama, Jun, Yamazaki, Shunpei
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahase, Pameshanand
• Application Number:
  US12/358,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20090195359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.8, 340/572.1, 252/387, 343/867
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/20 using active fault-masking, e.g. by switching out faulty elements or by switching in spare elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

An object is to increase the reliability of a semiconductor device which is capable of wireless communication. The semiconductor device includes a plurality of functional circuits as redundant circuits, and each of the plurality of functional circuits includes an antenna and a semiconductor integrated circuit. The plurality of functional circuits is covered with one sealing layer in which a fibrous body is impregnated with resin. Further, the semiconductor integrated circuit is provided with a transmission/reception circuit electrically connected to the antenna, a power supply circuit electrically connected to the transmission/reception circuit, and a logic circuit electrically connected to the transmission/reception circuit and the power supply circuit.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first functional circuit comprising a first antenna and a first semiconductor integrated circuit configured to store identification information and being electrically connected to the first antenna;

a second functional circuit comprising a second antenna and a second semiconductor integrated circuit configured to store identification information and being electrically connected to the second antenna;

a sealing layer surrounding the first functional circuit and the second functional circuit; and

a third antenna configured to transmit and to receive radio waves by electromagnetic coupling with the first antenna of the first functional circuit and by electromagnetic coupling with the second antenna of the second functional circuit,

wherein the identification information in the first functional circuit is different from the identification information in the second functional circuit, and

wherein the first functional circuit is electrically isolated from the second functional circuit.

2. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein each of the first semiconductor integrated circuit and the second semiconductor integrated circuit comprises a transmission/reception circuit electrically connected to the first antenna or the second antenna, a power supply circuit electrically connected to the transmission/reception circuit, and a logic circuit configured to store the identification information and being electrically connected to the transmission/reception circuit and the power supply circuit.

3. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein each of the first semiconductor integrated circuit and the second semiconductor integrated circuit comprises a transmission/reception circuit electrically connected to the first antenna or the second antenna, a power supply circuit electrically connected to the transmission/reception circuit, a logic circuit configured to store the identification information and being electrically connected to the transmission/reception circuit and the power supply circuit, a power supply control circuit electrically connected to the power supply circuit and the logic circuit, and a judging circuit electrically connected to the logic circuit and the power supply control circuit.

4. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein each of the first functional circuit and the second functional circuit has the same function.

5. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein each of the first functional circuit and the second functional circuit has an anti-collision function and responds at different timings in accordance with the identification information to a radio wave received from outside of the semiconductor device.

6. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the identification information is generated by using a difference in the positions of the first functional circuit and the second functional circuit, a difference in the amount of time for transmission or reception of signals of the first functional circuit and the second functional circuit, or a difference in the frequency of response signals of the first functional circuit and the second functional circuit.

7. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein each of the first functional circuit and the second functional circuit is judged whether each of the first functional circuit and the second functional circuit operates or not by a radio wave transmitted from outside of the semiconductor device, and is controlled whether to be operated or not by the radio wave transmitted from outside of the semiconductor device.

8. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein data to operate the first functional circuit is written in the first functional circuit, and data to stop the second functional circuit is written in the second functional circuit.

9. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein thickness of the sealing layer is 10 μ

m or more and 100 μ

m or less.

10. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the sealing layer is formed of fibrous bodies impregnated with resin.

11. A semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the fibrous bodies are formed of carbon fiber.

12. A semiconductor device according to claim 10,

wherein the fibrous bodies are formed of a woven fabric or a nonwoven fabric,

wherein the woven fabric is woven by bundles of fibers for warp yarns and welt yarns, and the nonwoven fabric is formed by stacking bundles of fibers in a random manner or in one direction.

13. A semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein a highly thermally-conductive filler is dispersed in at least one of the resin and the fibrous bodies.

14. A semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein carbon particles are dispersed in at least one of the resin and the fibrous bodies.

22. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein each of the first antenna and the second antenna has a loop shape.

24. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the third antenna is a booster antenna.

25. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first functional circuit and the second functional circuit are attached to a substrate on which the third antenna is formed.

26. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first antenna in the first functional circuit is overlapped with the first semiconductor integrated circuit in the first functional circuit and the second antenna in the second functional circuit is overlapped with the second semiconductor integrated circuit in the second functional circuit.

27. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the third antenna is electrically isolated from the first functional circuit and the second functional circuit.

15. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first functional circuit and a second functional circuit, each of the first functional circuit and the second functional circuit comprising;

comprising a first antenna and a first semiconductor integrated circuit configured to store identification information and being electrically connected to the first antenna;

a second functional circuit comprising a second antenna and a second semiconductor integrated circuit configured to store identification information and being electrically connected to the second antenna;

a third antenna configured to transmit and to receive radio waves by electromagnetic coupling with the first antenna of the first functional circuit and by electromagnetic coupling with the second antenna of the second functional circuit, and

a sealing layer surrounding the first functional circuit and the second functional circuit,

wherein the identification information in the first functional circuit is different from the identification information in the second functional circuit,

wherein each of the first semiconductor integrated circuit and the second semiconductor integrated circuit comprises a judging circuit,

wherein data to operate is written to the judging circuit of the first functional circuit, and data to stop is written to the judging circuit of the second functional circuit, and

wherein the first functional circuit is electrically isolated from the second functional circuit.

16. A semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein thickness of the sealing layer is 10 μ

m or more and 100 μ

m or less.

17. A semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein the sealing layer is formed of fibrous bodies impregnated with resin.

18. A semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein the fibrous bodies are formed of carbon fiber.

19. A semiconductor device according to claim 17,

wherein the fibrous bodies are formed of a woven fabric or a nonwoven fabric,

wherein the woven fabric is woven by bundles of fibers for warp yarns and welt yarns, and the nonwoven fabric is formed by stacking bundles of fibers in a random manner or in one direction.

20. A semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein a highly thermally-conductive filler is dispersed in at least one of the resin and the fibrous bodies.

21. A semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein carbon particles are dispersed in at least one of the resin and the fibrous bodies.

23. A semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein each of the first antenna and the second antenna has a loop shape.