Semiconductor device

• US 8,547,753 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2011
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Takemura, Yasuhiko, Yamazaki, Shunpei
• Primary Examiner(s): Hammond, Crystal L
• Application Number:
  US13/005,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20110175646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 365/185.23
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0629 in combination with diodes, or resistors, or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7869 having a semiconductor body comprising an oxide semiconductor material, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide, cadmium stannate
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/161 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/0013 in field effect transistor circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/173 using elementary logic circuits as components
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17724 Structural details of logic blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17736 Structural details of routing resources
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/1776 for memories
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17772 for powering on or off
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17784 for supply voltage

Abstract

It is an object to provide a semiconductor device in which power consumption can be reduced. It is another object to provide a highly reliable semiconductor device using a programming cell, such as a programmable logic device (PLD). In accordance with a change in a configuration of connections between basic blocks, power supply voltage furnishing to the basic blocks is changed. That is, when the structure of connections between the basic blocks is such that a basic block does not contribute to a circuit, the supply of the power supply voltage to this basic block is stopped. Further, the supply of the power supply voltage to the basic blocks is controlled using a programming cell formed using a field effect transistor whose channel formation region is formed using an oxide semiconductor, the field effect transistor having extremely low off-state current or extremely low leakage current.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

basic blocks each comprising a logic circuit; and

programming cells configured to control supply of a power supply potential to each of the basic blocks,

wherein the programming cells each comprise a first transistor functioning as a switching element and a second transistor configured to control supply of a potential to a gate electrode of the first transistor, and

wherein the second transistors each comprise a channel formation region comprising an oxide semiconductor.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, each programming cell further comprising a third transistor configured to control supply of a fixed potential to one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the corresponding first transistor.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, each programming cell further comprising a capacitor connected to the gate electrode of the corresponding first transistor.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, each programming cell further comprising a resistor connected to one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the corresponding first transistor.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the oxide semiconductor is an In—

Ga—

Zn—

O-based oxide semiconductor.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein hydrogen concentrations in the channel formation regions are lower than or equal to 5×

10¹⁹/cm³.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein off-state current densities of the second transistors are lower than or equal to 100 zA/μ

m.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first transistors each comprise at least one of silicon, silicon germanium, and germanium.

9. An electronic apparatus including the semiconductor device according to claim 1.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the only transistors comprised in one of the programming cells are the first transistor and the second transistor.

11. A semiconductor device comprising:

basic blocks each comprising a logic circuit; and

programming cells each configured to control connections between two of the basic blocks,

wherein the programming cells each comprise a first transistor functioning as a switching element and a second transistor configured to control supply of a potential to a gate electrode of the first transistor, and

wherein the second transistors each comprise a channel formation region comprising an oxide semiconductor.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 11, each programming cell further comprising a third transistor configured to control supply of a fixed potential to one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the corresponding first transistor.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 11, each programming cell further comprising a capacitor connected to the gate electrode of the corresponding first transistor.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 11, each programming cell further comprising a resistor connected to one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the corresponding first transistor.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein the oxide semiconductor is an In—

Ga—

Zn—

O-based oxide semiconductor.

16. The semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein hydrogen concentrations in the channel formation regions are lower than or equal to 5×

10¹⁹/cm³.

17. The semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein off-state current densities of the second transistors are lower than or equal to 100 zA/μ

m.

18. The semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein the first transistors each comprise at least one of silicon, silicon germanium, and germanium.

19. An electronic apparatus including the semiconductor device according to claim 11.

20. The semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein the only transistors comprised in one of the programming cells are the first transistor and the second transistor.

21. A semiconductor device comprising:

basic blocks each comprising a logic circuit;

first programming cells each configured to control connections between two of the basic blocks; and

second programming cells configured to control supply of a power supply potential to each of the basic blocks,

wherein the first programming cells and the second programming cells each comprise a first transistor functioning as a switching element and a second transistor configured to control supply of a potential to a gate electrode of the first transistor, and

wherein the second transistors each comprise a channel formation region comprising an oxide semiconductor.

22. The semiconductor device according to claim 21, each programming cell further comprising a third transistor configured to control supply of a fixed potential to one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the corresponding first transistor.

23. The semiconductor device according to claim 21, each programming cell further comprising a capacitor connected to the gate electrode of the corresponding first transistor.

24. The semiconductor device according to claim 21, each programming cell further comprising a resistor connected to one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the corresponding first transistor.

25. The semiconductor device according to claim 21, wherein the oxide semiconductor is an In—

Ga—

Zn—

O-based oxide semiconductor.

26. The semiconductor device according to claim 21, wherein hydrogen concentrations in the channel formation regions are lower than or equal to 5×

10¹⁹/cm³.

27. The semiconductor device according to claim 21, wherein off-state current densities of the second transistors are lower than or equal to 100 zA/μ

m.

28. The semiconductor device according to claim 21, wherein the first transistors each comprise at least one of silicon, silicon germanium, and germanium.

29. An electronic apparatus including the semiconductor device according to claim 21.

30. The semiconductor device according to claim 21, wherein the only transistors comprised in one of the programming cells are the first transistor and the second transistor.

31. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first basic block and a second basic block, each comprising a logic circuit; and

a circuit configured to control a connection between the first basic block and the second basic block,

wherein the circuit comprises a first transistor functioning as a switching element and a second transistor configured to control supply of a potential to a gate electrode of the first transistor, and

wherein the second transistor comprises a channel formation region comprising an oxide semiconductor.

32. The semiconductor device according to claim 31, the circuit configured to control a connection between the first basic block and the second basic block further comprising a third transistor configured to control supply of a fixed potential to one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the first transistor.

33. The semiconductor device according to claim 31, the circuit configured to control a connection between the first basic block and the second basic block further comprising a capacitor connected to the gate electrode of the first transistor.

34. The semiconductor device according to claim 31, the circuit configured to control a connection between the first basic block and the second basic block further comprising a resistor connected to one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the first transistor.

35. The semiconductor device according to claim 31, wherein the oxide semiconductor is an In—

Ga—

Zn—

O-based oxide semiconductor.

36. The semiconductor device according to claim 31, wherein hydrogen concentration in the channel formation region is lower than or equal to 5×

10¹⁹/cm³.

37. The semiconductor device according to claim 31, wherein off-state current density of the second transistor is lower than or equal to 100 zA/μ

m.

38. The semiconductor device according to claim 31, wherein the first transistor comprises at least one of silicon, silicon germanium, and germanium.

39. An electronic apparatus including the semiconductor device according to claim 31.

40. The semiconductor device according to claim 31, wherein the only transistors comprised in the circuit configured to control a connection between the first basic block and the second basic block are the first transistor and the second transistor.