Semiconductor device

• US 8,472,235 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2011
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kozuma, Munehiro, Kurokawa, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Son
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, NAM THANH
• Application Number:
  US13/048,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20110235389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 365/104, 365/226, 365/189.05
• US Class Current: 365/104
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 17/12 using field-effect devices
• 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 29/7869 having a semiconductor body comprising an oxide semiconductor material, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide, cadmium stannate

Abstract

An object is reduction in power consumption of a semiconductor device including a memory circuit. In the semiconductor device including a memory circuit, the memory circuit includes a memory cell including a semiconductor element and a memory cell that does not include a semiconductor element in a region defined by a word line and a bit line which intersect with each other. A transistor formed using an oxide semiconductor so as to have extremely low off-state current is used as the semiconductor element, so that the reading precision is improved and thus low voltage operation can be performed. The memory cells store data high or data low. The memory cell comprising a semiconductor element stores minor data of high and low, and the memory cell that does not comprise the semiconductor element stores major data of high and low.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a central processing unit; and

a memory circuit comprising;

a first memory cell defined by a first bit line and a first word line intersecting with each other; and

a second memory cell defined by a second bit line and a second word line intersecting with each other,

wherein the first memory cell comprises a first transistor,

wherein the second memory cell does not comprise a semiconductor element,

wherein the first transistor comprises an oxide semiconductor in a channel formation region,

wherein a gate of the first transistor is electrically connected to the first word line, a drain of the first transistor is electrically connected to the first bit line, and a source of the first transistor is electrically connected to a reference potential line,

wherein the memory circuit stores data of a program, and

wherein the central processing unit is configured to execute an operation based on the program.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the memory circuit further comprises a second transistor,

wherein the second transistor comprises an oxide semiconductor in a channel formation region, and

wherein a gate of the second transistor is electrically connected to a pre-charge line, a drain of the second transistor is electrically connected to at least one of the first bit line and the second bit line, and a source of the second transistor is electrically connected to a first power supply line.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 2,

wherein the memory circuit further comprises a latch circuit,

wherein the latch circuit comprises a first inverter circuit and a third transistor,

wherein an input terminal of the first inverter circuit and a drain of the third transistor are electrically connected to at least one of the first bit line and the second bit line,

wherein an output terminal of the first inverter circuit is electrically connected to a gate of the third transistor, and

wherein a source of the third transistor is electrically connected to a second power supply line.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 3,

wherein the memory circuit further comprises a second inverter circuit,

wherein an input terminal of the second inverter circuit is electrically connected to at least one of the first bit line and the second bit line,

wherein an output terminal of the second inverter circuit is electrically connected to an output terminal of the semiconductor device,

wherein high data and low data constitute data of the program,

wherein the first memory cell stores one of the high data, and

wherein the number of the high data of the program is less than the number of the low data of the program.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 4,

wherein the memory circuit further comprises memory cells electrically connected to the second word line, and

wherein the memory cells do not comprise a semiconductor element.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the memory circuit further comprises a latch circuit,

wherein the latch circuit comprises a first inverter circuit and a third transistor,

wherein an input terminal of the first inverter circuit and a drain of the third transistor are electrically connected to at least one of the first bit line and the second bit line,

wherein an output terminal of the first inverter circuit is electrically connected to a gate of the third transistor, and

wherein a source of the third transistor is electrically connected to a second power supply line.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the memory circuit further comprises a second inverter circuit,

wherein an input terminal of the second inverter circuit is electrically connected to at least one of the first bit line and the second bit line,

wherein an output terminal of the second inverter circuit is electrically connected to an output terminal of the semiconductor device,

wherein high data and low data constitute data of the program,

wherein the first memory cell stores one of the high data, and

wherein the number of the high data of the program is less than the number of the low data of the program.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the memory circuit further comprises memory cells electrically connected to the second word line, and

wherein the memory cells do not comprise a semiconductor element.

9. A semiconductor device comprising:

a dedicated circuit; and

a memory circuit comprising;

a first memory cell defined by a first bit line and a first word line intersecting with each other; and

a second memory cell defined by a second bit line and a second word line intersecting with each other,

wherein the first memory cell comprises a first transistor,

wherein the second memory cell does not comprise a semiconductor element,

wherein the first transistor comprises an oxide semiconductor in a channel formation region,

wherein a gate of the first transistor is electrically connected to the first word line, a drain of the first transistor is electrically connected to the first bit line, and a source of the first transistor is electrically connected to a reference potential line,

wherein the memory circuit stores data of a program, and

wherein the dedicated circuit is configured to execute an arithmetic operation based on the program.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 9,

wherein the memory circuit further comprises a second transistor,

wherein the second transistor comprises an oxide semiconductor in a channel formation region, and

wherein a gate of the second transistor is electrically connected to a pre-charge line, a drain of the second transistor is electrically connected to at least one of the first bit line and the second bit line, and a source of the second transistor is electrically connected to a first power supply line.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 9,

wherein the memory circuit further comprises a latch circuit,

wherein the latch circuit comprises a first inverter circuit and a third transistor,

wherein an input terminal of the first inverter circuit and a drain of the third transistor are electrically connected to at least one of the first bit line and the second bit line,

wherein an output terminal of the first inverter circuit is electrically connected to a gate of the third transistor, and

wherein a source of the third transistor is electrically connected to a second power supply line.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 9,

wherein the memory circuit further comprises a second inverter circuit,

wherein an input terminal of the second inverter circuit is electrically connected to at least one of the first bit line and the second bit line,

wherein an output terminal of the second inverter circuit is electrically connected to an output terminal of the semiconductor device,

wherein high data and low data constitute data of the program,

wherein the first memory cell stores one of the high data, and

wherein the number of the high data of the program is less than the number of the low data of the program.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 9,

wherein the memory circuit further comprises memory cells electrically connected to the second word line, and

wherein the memory cells do not comprise a semiconductor element.

14. A semiconductor device comprising:

a central processing unit;

a dedicated circuit; and

a memory circuit comprising;

a first memory cell defined by a first word line and a first bit line intersecting with each other; and

a second memory cell defined by a second word line and a second bit line intersecting with each other,

wherein the first memory cell comprises a first transistor,

wherein the second memory cell does not comprise a semiconductor element,

wherein the first transistor comprises an oxide semiconductor in a channel formation region,

wherein a gate of the first transistor is electrically connected to the first word line, a drain of the first transistor is electrically connected to the first bit line, and a source of the first transistor is electrically connected to a reference potential line,

wherein the memory circuit stores data of a program,

wherein the central processing unit is configured to execute an operation based on the program, and

wherein the dedicated circuit is configured to execute an arithmetic operation based on the program.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 14,

wherein the memory circuit further comprises a second transistor,

wherein the second transistor comprises an oxide semiconductor in a channel formation region, and

wherein a gate of the second transistor is electrically connected to a pre-charge line, a drain of the second transistor is electrically connected to at least one of the first bit line and the second bit line, and a source of the second transistor is electrically connected to a first power supply line.

16. The semiconductor device according to claim 14,

wherein the memory circuit further comprises a latch circuit,

wherein the latch circuit comprises a first inverter circuit and a third transistor,

wherein an input terminal of the first inverter circuit and a drain of the third transistor are electrically connected to at least one of the first bit line and the second bit line,

wherein an output terminal of the first inverter circuit is electrically connected to a gate of the third transistor, and

wherein a source of the third transistor is electrically connected to a second power supply line.

17. The semiconductor device according to claim 14,

wherein the memory circuit further comprises a second inverter circuit,

wherein an input terminal of the second inverter circuit is electrically connected to at least one of the first bit line and the second bit line,

wherein an output terminal of the second inverter circuit is electrically connected to an output terminal of the semiconductor device,

wherein high data and low data constitute data of the program,

wherein the first memory cell stores one of the high data, and

wherein the number of the high data of the program is less than the number of the low data of the program.

18. The semiconductor device according to claim 14,

wherein the memory circuit further comprises memory cells electrically connected to the second word line, and

wherein the memory cells do not comprise a semiconductor element.