Driving method of semiconductor device

• US 8,593,858 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2011
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kamata, Koichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Son
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, NAM THANH
• Application Number:
  US13/218,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20120051120A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 365/149, 365/231, 365/104
• US Class Current: 365/149
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/404 with one charge-transfer gate, e.g. MOS transistor, per cell
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/4074 Power supply or voltage generation circuits, e.g. bias voltage generators, substrate voltage generators, back-up power, power control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/4094 Bit-line management or control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/5628 Programming or writing circuits; Data input circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/565 using capacitive charge storage elements
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/0433 comprising cells containing a single floating gate transistor and one or more separate select transistors
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/10 Programming or data input circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/12 Programming voltage switching circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/30 Power supply circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/3481 Circuits or methods to verify correct programming of nonvolatile memory cells whilst programming is in progress, e.g. by detecting onset or cessation of current flow in cells and using the detector output to terminate programming
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/3486 Circuits or methods to prevent overprogramming of nonvolatile memory cells, e.g. by detecting onset or cessation of current flow in cells and using the detector output to terminate programming
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1207 combined with devices in contact with the semiconductor body, i.e. bulk/SOI hybrid circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 41/70 the floating gate being an electrode shared by two or more components

Abstract

A driving method by which stored data can be retained even with no power supply and the number of writing operations is not limited is provided. The variation of a writing potential to a memory element is suppressed to improve the reliability according to a new driving method. According to the driving method of a semiconductor device, in writing data, the writing potential is increased step-by-step while verifying the reading current, and the result of the reading current is used for the writing current. That is, data writing is performed while verifying whether data writing is performed with an accurate potential. Accordingly, data writing can be performed with high reliability.

Claims

1. A driving method of a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device comprising:

a memory element comprising a first transistor, a capacitor, and a second transistor;

a first word line electrically connected to a gate terminal of the first transistor;

a first bit line electrically connected to a source terminal of the first transistor;

a source line electrically connected to a drain terminal of the first transistor;

a second word line electrically connected to a gate terminal of the second transistor; and

a second bit line electrically connected to a source terminal of the second transistor,

wherein the gate terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to a drain terminal of the second transistor, and

wherein the capacitor is electrically connected to the gate terminal of the first transistor and the first word line,

the driving method comprising the steps of;

supplying a potential to the second word line to turn on the second transistor;

supplying a potential to the first bit line step-by-step to supply an electrical charge to the gate terminal of the first transistor, while reading a current which flows into the first transistor; and

stopping supplying the potential step-by-step to the first bit line when the current which flows into the first transistor reaches a given value, so that data writing is performed.

2. The driving method of a semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the memory element is arranged in a matrix of m rows (in the horizontal direction) by n columns (in the longitudinal direction) (m and n are natural numbers greater than or equal to 1), and

wherein the data writing is performed per row sequentially from the first row.

3. The driving method of a semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the given value can be set to three or more values.

4. The driving method of a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first transistor comprises a semiconductor material.

5. The driving method of a semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the semiconductor material is a single crystalline semiconductor material.

6. The driving method of a semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the semiconductor material is silicon.

7. The driving method of a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the second transistor comprises an oxide semiconductor layer.

8. The driving method of a semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises In, Ga, and Zn.

9. The driving method of a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor device is one of a laptop personal computer, a portable information terminal, an electronic book reader, a mobile phone, a digital video camera, and a television set.

10. A driving method of a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device comprising:

a memory element comprising a first transistor, a capacitor, and a second transistor;

a first word line electrically connected to a gate terminal of the first transistor;

a first bit line electrically connected to a source terminal of the first transistor;

a source line electrically connected to a drain terminal of the first transistor;

a second word line electrically connected to a gate terminal of the second transistor; and

a second bit line electrically connected to a source terminal of the second transistor,

wherein the gate terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to a drain terminal of the second transistor;

wherein the capacitor is electrically connected to the gate terminal of the first transistor and the first word line,

wherein the first transistor comprises a semiconductor material, and

wherein the second transistor comprises an oxide semiconductor layer,

the driving method comprising the steps of;

supplying a potential to the second word line to turn on the second transistor;

supplying a potential to the first bit line step-by-step to supply an electrical charge to the gate terminal of the first transistor, while reading a current which flows into the first transistor; and

stopping supplying the potential step-by-step to the first bit line when the current which flows into the first transistor reaches a given value, so that data writing is performed.

11. The driving method of a semiconductor device according to claim 10,

wherein the memory element is arranged in a matrix of m rows (in the horizontal direction) by n columns (in the longitudinal direction) (m and n are natural numbers greater than or equal to 1), and

wherein the data writing is performed per row sequentially from the first row.

12. The driving method of a semiconductor device according to claim 10,

wherein the given value can be set to three or more values.

13. The driving method of a semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the semiconductor material is silicon.

14. The driving method of a semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the semiconductor material is a single crystalline semiconductor material.

15. The driving method of a semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises In, Ga, and Zn.

16. The driving method of a semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the semiconductor device is one of a laptop personal computer, a portable information terminal, an electronic book reader, a mobile phone, a digital video camera, and a television set.