Semiconductor device

• US 8,669,781 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2012
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ohmaru, Takuro
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Daniel D
• Application Number:
  US13/481,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20120306533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 326/41, 326/44, 326/39, 326/40, 326/112, 326/113, 326/119
• US Class Current: 326/41
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/00 Assemblies consisting of a plurality of individual semiconductor or other solid state devices ; Multistep manufacturing processes thereofdevices consisting of a plurality of solid state components formed in or on a common substrate H01L27/00; photovoltaic modules or arrays of photovoltaic cells H01L31/042 ; panels or arrays of photo electrochemical cells H01G9/2068
• 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 19/0013 in field effect transistor circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/177 arranged in matrix form
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17744 for input/output signals

Abstract

A programmable analog device and an analog device that can retain data even when supply of a power supply potential is interrupted and consumes less power. In a semiconductor device, first to fourth transistors are used as switches in a unit cell including an analog element, and the output of the unit cell switches between a conducting state, a non-conducting state, and a conducting state through the analog element by controlling the potential of a first node where the first transistor and the second transistor are connected and the potential of a second node where the third transistor and the fourth transistor are connected.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a programmable circuit comprising;

a unit cell;

a bit line;

a unit cell selection line;

an analog element selection line;

an input signal line; and

an output signal line,

wherein;

the unit cell comprises a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, a fourth transistor, and an analog element,

the unit cell selection line and a gate electrode of the first transistor are electrically connected to each other,

the bit line, one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the first transistor, and one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the third transistor are electrically connected to each other,

the analog element selection line and a gate electrode of the third transistor are electrically connected to each other,

the input signal line, one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the second transistor, and one of electrodes of the analog element are electrically connected to each other,

the other of the electrodes of the analog element and one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the fourth transistor are electrically connected to each other,

the output signal line, the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the second transistor, and the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the fourth transistor are electrically connected to each other,

the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the first transistor and a gate electrode of the second transistor are electrically connected to each other to form a first node, and

the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the third transistor and a gate electrode of the fourth transistor are electrically connected to each other to form a second node.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first transistor and the third transistor comprises an oxide semiconductor.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the analog element is a resistor.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the resistor comprises an oxide semiconductor.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the analog element is a capacitor, a coil, or a photoelectric conversion element.

6. A semiconductor device comprising:

a programmable circuit comprising;

a plurality of unit cells arranged in a matrix;

a plurality of bit lines;

a plurality of unit cell selection lines;

a plurality of analog element selection lines;

an input signal line; and

an output signal line,

wherein;

one of the plurality of unit cells includes a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, a fourth transistor, and an analog element,

one of the plurality of unit cell selection lines and a gate electrode of the first transistor are electrically connected to each other,

one of the plurality of bit lines, one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the first transistor, and one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the third transistor are electrically connected to each other,

one of the plurality of analog element selection lines and a gate electrode of the third transistor are electrically connected to each other,

the input signal line, one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the second transistor, and one of electrodes of the analog element are electrically connected to each other,

the other of the electrodes of the analog element and one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the fourth transistor are electrically connected to each other,

the output signal line, the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the second transistor, and the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the fourth transistor are electrically connected to each other,

the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the first transistor and a gate electrode of the second transistor are electrically connected to each other to form a first node,

the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the third transistor and a gate electrode of the fourth transistor are electrically connected to each other to form a second node, and

an analog value synthesized by the programmable circuit varies along with an output of each of the plurality of unit cells controlled in accordance with a potential of the first node and a potential of the second node.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the first transistor and the third transistor comprises an oxide semiconductor.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein the analog element is a resistor.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the resistor comprises an oxide semiconductor.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein the analog element is a capacitor, a coil, or a photoelectric conversion element.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 6,

wherein a row of the matrix comprises first unit cells, and

wherein the first unit cells comprise one of the plurality of bit lines.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 6,

wherein a column of the matrix comprises second unit cells,

wherein the second unit cells comprise one of the plurality of unit cell selection lines and one of the plurality of analog element selection lines, and

wherein an output terminal of one of the second unit cells is an input terminal of the other of the second unit cells which is adjacent to the one of the second unit cells.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein the output terminal of one of the second unit cells is an input terminal of a third unit cell which belongs to a same row of the one of the second unit cells and is adjacent to the one of the second unit cells.

14. A semiconductor device comprising:

a unit cell, the unit cell comprising;

a first transistor,

a second transistor,

a third transistor,

a fourth transistor, and

an analog element,

wherein;

one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the first transistor and one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the third transistor are electrically connected to each other,

one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the second transistor and one of electrodes of the analog element are electrically connected to each other,

the other of the electrodes of the analog element and one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the fourth transistor are electrically connected to each other,

the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the second transistor and the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the fourth transistor are electrically connected to each other,

the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the first transistor and a gate electrode of the second transistor are electrically connected to each other to form a first node,

the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the third transistor and a gate electrode of the fourth transistor are electrically connected to each other to form a second node, and

the one of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the third transistor is not fixed to a ground voltage.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the first transistor and the third transistor comprises an oxide semiconductor.

16. The semiconductor device according to claim 14, wherein the analog element comprises a resistor.

17. The semiconductor device according to claim 16, wherein the resistor comprises an oxide semiconductor.

18. The semiconductor device according to claim 14, wherein the analog element is a capacitor, a coil, or a photoelectric conversion element.

19. The semiconductor device according to claim 14 further comprising an input signal line,

wherein the one of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the second transistor and the one of electrodes of the analog element are directly connected to each other.

20. The semiconductor device according to claim 14, wherein the one of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the third transistor is electrically connected to the one of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the first transistor.

21. The semiconductor device according to claim 14, wherein the one of electrodes of the analog element and the one of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the second transistor are directly connected to each other.