Semiconductor storage device and storage system

• US 8,655,350 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), KEIO University, Kyoto University
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), KEIO University, Kyoto University
• Inventors: Imai, Shigeki, Nakamura, Yukihiro, Ochi, Hiroyuki, Ono, Sadayasu, Ohta, Naohisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US12/681,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20100214817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,971 Days
• Field of Search: 455423-425, 455 411- 412, 455/67.11, 455/67.12, 455/67.13, 455/572, 455/573, 455/343.1, 340/572.1, 340/539.1, 340/539.13, 340/10.1, 340/10.34, 340/13.24, 340/13.25, 340/13.26, 324/750.16, 324/750.22, 324/750.23, 324/750.24, 324/762.01
• US Class Current: 455/425
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 17/10 in which contents are determined during manufacturing by a predetermined arrangement of coupling elements, e.g. mask-programmable ROM
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2207/107 Serial-parallel conversion of data or prefetch
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/04 Supports for storage elements , e.g. memory modules; Mounting or fixing of storage elements on such supports
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/1006 Data managing, e.g. manipulating data before writing or reading out, data bus switches or control circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/48 Arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the solid state body in operation, e.g. leads, terminal arrangements ; Selection of materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/16 the devices being of types provided for in two or more different main groups of groups H01L27/00 - H01L33/00, or in a single subclass of H10K, H10N, e.g. forming hybrid circuits
• 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: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/03921 including only elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0445 including thin film solar cells, e.g. single thin film a-Si, CIS or CdTe solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/048 Encapsulation of modules
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A pn junction type solar cell is formed in a predetermined region on a substrate made of glass. Light emitted from a light emitting unit reaches an n-type semiconductor layer after it passed through substrate. The solar cell generates electromotive force corresponding to a quantity of the emitted light. A control circuit, a mask ROM, a transmitting circuit and an antenna are formed on an upper side of the solar cell. A surface of a semiconductor storage device is entirely covered with an insulating film to block entry of outside air. The insulating film is typically formed of physicochemically stable glass or silicon dioxide.

Claims

1. A storage system comprising:

a plurality of semiconductor storage devices; and

a data reading device, wherein

said plurality of semiconductor storage devices are arranged close to each other according to a predetermined rule;

each of said plurality of semiconductor storage devices includes;

a light-transmitting substrate;

an electric power generating unit for receiving the light passed through said substrate and generating electric power,

a nonvolatile storage unit arranged on said substrate for nonvolatilely storing the data,

a communication unit arranged on said substrate for receiving the electric power from said electric power generating unit and transmitting by radio the data stored in said nonvolatile storage unit to the semiconductor storage device neighboring to the device to which the communication unit belongs, and

a sealing film covering exposed surfaces of said electric power generating unit, said nonvolatile storage unit and said communication unit; and

said data reading device includes;

a light emitting unit for emitting light to said plurality of semiconductor storage devices, and

a reading unit arranged close to at least one of the plurality of closely arranged semiconductor storage devices for receiving the data transmitted by radio from the semiconductor storage device.

2. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein

said communication unit transfers the data received from any neighboring semiconductor storage device to any other neighboring semiconductor memory device.

3. The storage system according to claim 2, wherein

said communication unit transfers the data received from the neighboring semiconductor storage device to a destination and thereafter transmits the data stored in said nonvolatile storage device to the destination.

4. The storage system according to claim 2, wherein

said substrate has a substantially circular disk-like form;

said communication unit includes;

a receiving unit for receiving the data from a semiconductor storage device neighboring to the device to which the communication unit belongs, and

a transmitting unit for transmitting the data to another neighboring semiconductor storage device neighboring to the device to which the communication unit belongs;

said receiving unit and said transmitting unit are spaced from each other by a predetermined circumferential angle about a center of said substantially circular disk-like substrate; and

said plurality of semiconductor storage devices are arranged to have diametrical centers aligned on the same straight line, and the receiving unit of one of the neighboring two semiconductor storage devices is close to the transmitting unit of the other of the neighboring two semiconductor storage devices.

5. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein

each of said plurality of semiconductor storage devices is arranged close to the plurality of other semiconductor storage devices,

said communication unit includes a plurality of transmitting/receiving units configured to perform data transmission and data reception with respect to the semiconductor storage device neighboring to the device to which the communication unit belongs, and

each of said transmitting/receiving units establishes an ad-hoc network with respect to the neighboring semiconductor storage device.

6. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein

said sealing film is a silicon dioxide film.

7. A storage system comprising:

a plurality of semiconductor storage devices; and

a data reading device, wherein

said plurality of semiconductor storage devices are arranged close to each other according to a predetermined rule,

each of said plurality of semiconductor storage devices includes;

a substrate,

a nonvolatile storage unit arranged on said substrate for nonvolatilely storing the data,

an electric power generating unit arranged on said substrate for receiving energy externally supplied in a non-contact fashion and generating internal electric power,

a communication unit, arranged on said substrate, configured to receive said internal electric power and perform transmission and reception of the data by radio signals with respect to the semiconductor storage device neighboring to the device to which the communication unit belongs, and

a sealing film covering exposed surfaces of said electric power generating unit, said nonvolatile storage unit and said communication unit;

when said communication unit receives the data from any neighboring semiconductor storage device, said communication unit transfers said received data to any other semiconductor memory device; and

said data reading device includes a reading unit neighboring to at least one of the plurality of closely arranged semiconductor storage devices for receiving the data transferred from said neighboring semiconductor storage device.

8. The storage system according to claim 7, wherein

said communication unit transfers the data received from the neighboring semiconductor storage device to a destination and thereafter transmits the data stored in said nonvolatile storage device to the destination.

9. The storage system according to claim 7, wherein

each of said plurality of semiconductor storage devices is arranged close to other semiconductor storage devices,

said communication unit includes a plurality of transmitting/receiving units configured to perform data transmission and data reception with respect to the semiconductor storage device neighboring to the device to which the communication unit belongs, and

each of said transmitting/receiving units establishes an ad-hoc network with respect to the neighboring semiconductor storage device.

10. The storage system according to claim 7, wherein

said substrate is a light-transmitting substrate,

said electric power generating unit is a solar cell for receiving light passed through said substrate and generating an electric power, and

said data reading device further includes a light emitting unit for emitting the light to said plurality of semiconductor storage devices.

11. The storage system according to claim 7, wherein

said data reading device further includes a magnetic flux supply unit for supplying an alternating magnetic flux to said plurality of semiconductor storage devices, and

said electric power generating unit includes:

a coil disposed in a position causing linkage with said alternating magnetic flux, and

a power supply circuit for producing the internal electric power from electromotive force generated by linkage between said coil and the alternating magnetic flux.

12. A storage system comprising:

a semiconductor storage device; and

data reading device, wherein

said semiconductor storage device includes;

a substrate,

a plurality of storage cells arranged on said substrate, and

a sealing film covering exposed surfaces of said plurality of storage cells;

each of said plurality of storage cells includes;

a nonvolatile storage unit for nonvolatilely storing data,

an electric power generating unit for receiving energy externally supplied in a non-contact fashion and generating internal electric power, and

a transmitting unit for receiving said internal electric power and transmitting by radio the data stored in said nonvolatile storage unit; and

said data reading device includes;

an energy supply unit for supplying energy to said semiconductor storage device,

a plurality of receiving units arranged in said plurality of storage cells of said semiconductor storage device, respectively, and

a circuit for outputting, as a series of data row, the data received by said plurality of receiving units.

13. A storage system comprising:

a semiconductor storage device; and

data reading device, wherein

said semiconductor storage device includes;

a substrate,

a plurality of storage cells arranged on said substrate, and

a sealing film covering exposed surfaces of said plurality of storage cells;

each of said plurality of storage cells includes;

a nonvolatile storage unit for nonvolatilely storing data,

an electric power generating unit for receiving energy externally supplied in a non-contact fashion and generating internal electric power, and

a transmitting unit for receiving said internal electric power and transmitting by radio the data stored in said nonvolatile storage unit; and

said data reading device includes;

an energy supply unit for supplying energy to said semiconductor storage device,

a plurality of receiving units arranged in said plurality of storage cells of said semiconductor storage device, respectively,

a buffer for temporarily storing the data received by said plurality of receiving units, and

a circuit for selectively extracting the data stored in said buffer.