Voltage regulator circuit and semiconductor device, including transistor using oxide semiconductor

• US 8,766,608 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2010
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Shunpei, Koyama, Jun, Takahashi, Kei, Tsubuku, Masashi, Noda, Kosei
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhane, Adolf
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Emily P
• Application Number:
  US12/909,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20110101942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• Field of Search: 323/222, 323/271, 323/282
• US Class Current: 323/271
• 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 27/1255 integrated with passive devices, e.g. auxiliary 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: H02M 3/07 using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode , e.g. charge pumps
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load

Abstract

A voltage regulator circuit includes a transistor and a capacitor. The transistor includes a gate, a source, and a drain, a first signal is inputted to one of the source and the drain, a second signal which is a clock signal is inputted to the gate, an oxide semiconductor layer is used for a channel formation layer, and an off-state current is less than or equal to 10 aA/μm. The capacitor includes a first electrode and a second electrode, the first electrode is electrically connected to the other of the source and the drain of the transistor, and a high power source voltage and a low power source voltage are alternately applied to the second electrode.

Claims

1. A voltage regulator circuit comprising:

a transistor comprising a gate, a source, a drain, an oxide semiconductor layer used for a channel formation layer of the transistor, and a conductor layer; and

a capacitor comprising a first electrode and a second electrode,

wherein a first signal is inputted to one of the source and the drain of the transistor,

wherein a second signal which is a clock signal is inputted to the gate of the transistor,

wherein an off-state current of the transistor is less than or equal to 10 aA/μ

m,

wherein the first electrode of the capacitor is electrically connected to the other of the source and the drain of the transistor,

wherein a high power source voltage and a low power source voltage are alternately applied to the second electrode of the capacitor,

wherein a first voltage of the first signal is stepped up or down to obtain a third signal,

wherein the third signal which has a second voltage obtained by stepping up or down the first voltage of the first signal is outputted as an output signal through the other of the source and the drain of the transistor,

wherein the gate and the oxide semiconductor layer overlap with each other with a first insulating layer therebetween,

wherein the conductor layer and the oxide semiconductor layer overlap with each other with a second insulating layer therebetween, and

wherein the oxide semiconductor layer is between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer.

2. The voltage regulator circuit according to claim 1, wherein the off-state current of the transistor is less than or equal to 100 zA/μ

m.

3. The voltage regulator circuit according to claim 1, wherein a carrier concentration of the oxide semiconductor layer is less than or equal to 5×

10¹⁴/cm³.

17. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the oxide semiconductor layer comprises indium and zinc.

4. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first transistor comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode, a first oxide semiconductor layer serving as a first channel formation layer of the first transistor, and a first conductor layer;

a second transistor comprising a fourth electrode, a fifth electrode, a sixth electrode, a second oxide semiconductor layer serving as a second channel formation layer of the second transistor, and a second conductor layer; and

a capacitor comprising a seventh electrode and an eighth electrode,

wherein the third electrode of the first transistor, the fourth electrode of the second transistor, and the seventh electrode of the capacitor are electrically connected to each other,

wherein the second electrode of the first transistor is configured so that a clock signal is applied to the second electrode of the first transistor,

wherein the fifth electrode of the second transistor is configured so that an inverted clock signal of the clock signal is applied to the fifth electrode of the second transistor,

wherein the eighth electrode is configured so that a first voltage and a second voltage is alternately applied to the eighth electrode,

wherein the second voltage is higher than the first voltage,

wherein the second electrode and the first oxide semiconductor layer overlap with each other with a first insulating layer therebetween,

wherein the first conductor layer and the first oxide semiconductor layer overlap with each other with a second insulating layer therebetween,

wherein the first oxide semiconductor layer is between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer,

wherein the fifth electrode and the second oxide semiconductor layer overlap with each other with the first insulating layer therebetween,

wherein the second conductor layer and the second oxide semiconductor layer overlap with each other with the second insulating layer therebetween, and

wherein the second oxide semiconductor layer is between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 4,

wherein the first voltage is a low power source voltage, and

wherein the second voltage is a high power source voltage.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein each of the first transistor and the second transistor has an off-state current of 10 aA/μ

m or less.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein each of the first transistor and the second transistor has an off-state current of 100 zA/μ

m or less.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein a carrier concentration of the first oxide semiconductor layer and a carrier concentration of the second oxide semiconductor layer are less than or equal to 5×

10¹⁴/cm³.

18. The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the first oxide semiconductor layer and the second oxide semiconductor layer comprise indium and zinc.

9. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first transistor comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode, a first oxide semiconductor layer serving as a first channel formation layer of the first transistor, and a first conductor layer;

a second transistor comprising a fourth electrode, a fifth electrode, a sixth electrode, a second oxide semiconductor layer serving as a second channel formation layer of the second transistor, and a second conductor layer;

a third transistor comprising a seventh electrode;

an eighth electrode, and a ninth electrode;

a fourth transistor comprising a tenth electrode, an eleventh electrode, and a twelfth electrode;

a capacitor comprising a thirteenth electrode and a fourteenth electrode;

a first wiring; and

a second wiring,

wherein the third electrode of the first transistor, the fourth electrode of the second transistor, and the thirteenth electrode of the capacitor are electrically connected to each other,

wherein the ninth electrode of the third transistor, the tenth electrode of the fourth transistor, and the fourteenth electrode of the capacitor are electrically connected to each other,

wherein the first wiring is electrically connected to the second electrode of the first transistor,

wherein the second wiring is electrically connected to the fifth electrode of the second transistor,

wherein the second electrode and the first oxide semiconductor layer overlap with each other with a first insulating layer therebetween,

wherein the first conductor layer and the first oxide semiconductor layer overlap with each other with a second insulating layer therebetween,

wherein the first oxide semiconductor layer is between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer,

wherein the fifth electrode and the second oxide semiconductor layer overlap with each other with the first insulating layer therebetween,

wherein the second conductor layer and the second oxide semiconductor layer overlap with each other with the second insulating layer therebetween,

wherein the second oxide semiconductor layer is between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer,

wherein the third transistor is configured so that a first voltage is applied to the seventh electrode of the third transistor,

wherein the fourth transistor is configured so that a second voltage is applied to the twelfth electrode of the fourth transistor, and

wherein the second voltage is higher than the first voltage.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 9,

wherein the eighth electrode of the third transistor is electrically connected to the first wiring, and

wherein the eleventh electrode of the fourth transistor is electrically connected to the second wiring.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 9,

wherein the eighth electrode of the third transistor is electrically connected to the second wiring, and

wherein the eleventh electrode of the fourth transistor is electrically connected to the first wiring.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 9,

wherein the first wiring is configured so that a clock signal is input to the first wiring, and

wherein the second wiring is configured so that an inverted clock signal of the clock signal is input to the second wiring.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 9,

wherein the first voltage is a low power source voltage, and

wherein the second voltage is a high power source voltage.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein each of the first transistor and the second transistor has an off-state current of 10 aA/μ

m or less.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein each of the first transistor and the second transistor has an off-state current of 100 zA/μ

m or less.

16. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein a carrier concentration of the first oxide semiconductor layer and a carrier concentration of the second oxide semiconductor layer are less than or equal to 5×

10¹⁴/cm³.

19. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the first oxide semiconductor layer and the second oxide semiconductor layer comprise indium and zinc.