Semiconductor device and electronic appliance

• US 8,872,572 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2014
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Koyama, Jun, Umezaki, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Donovan, Lincoln
• Assistant Examiner(s): Almo, Khareem E
• Application Number:
  US14/147,647
• Publication Number:
  US 20140117351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 295 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 327/333
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0251 Precharge or discharge of pixel before applying new pixel voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0286 Details of a shift registers arranged for use in a driving circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0289 Details of voltage level shifters arranged for use in a driving circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/08 Details of timing specific for flat panels, other than clock recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3674 Details of drivers for scan electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3677 suitable for active matrices only
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 19/00 Digital stores in which the information is moved stepwise, e.g. shift registers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0207 Geometrical layout of the components, e.g. computer aided design; custom LSI, semi-custom LSI, standard cell technique
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1214 comprising a plurality of TFTs formed on a non-semiconducting substrate, e.g. driving circuits for AMLCDs
• 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 27/124 with a particular composition, shape or layout of the wiring layers specially adapted to the circuit arrangement, e.g. scanning lines in LCD pixel circuits wiring structures per se H01L23/52
• 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: H03K 17/687 the devices being field-effect transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/0013 in field effect transistor circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/018557 Coupling arrangements; Impedance matching circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/018571 of complementary type, e.g. CMOS

Abstract

The amplitude voltage of a signal input to a level shifter can be increased and then output by the level shifter circuit. Specifically, the amplitude voltage of the signal input to the level shifter can be increased to be output. This decreases the amplitude voltage of a circuit (a shift register circuit, a decoder circuit, or the like) which outputs the signal input to the level shifter. Consequently, power consumption of the circuit can be reduced. Alternatively, a voltage applied to a transistor included in the circuit can be reduced. This can suppress degradation of the transistor or damage to the transistor.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first transistor;

a second transistor;

a third transistor;

a fourth transistor;

a fifth transistor; and

a sixth transistor,

wherein a first terminal of the first transistor is directly connected to a first wiring, and a second terminal of the first transistor is directly connected to a second wiring,

wherein a first terminal of the second transistor is directly connected to a third wiring, and a second terminal of the second transistor is directly connected to the second wiring,

wherein a second terminal of the third transistor is electrically connected to a gate of the first transistor, and a gate of the third transistor is electrically connected to a fourth wiring,

wherein a first terminal of the fourth transistor is directly connected to the third wiring, and a gate of the fourth transistor is directly connected to a gate of the second transistor,

wherein a first terminal of the fifth transistor is electrically connected to a fifth wiring, a second terminal of the fifth transistor is directly connected to the gate of the second transistor, and a gate of the fifth transistor is electrically connected to the fifth wiring, and

wherein a first terminal of the sixth transistor is directly connected to the third wiring, a second terminal of the sixth transistor is directly connected to the gate of the second transistor, and a gate of the sixth transistor is electrically connected to the fourth wiring.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the third wiring is a power line.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first wiring is a signal line.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the fifth wiring is a signal line.

5. A display device comprising:

a controller; and

a gate driver electrically connected to the controller, the gate driver comprising a semiconductor device according to claim 1.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1,

wherein the first wiring is a first power supply line,

wherein the third wiring is a second power line,

wherein the fifth wiring is a third power line,

wherein the second wiring is a first signal line, and

wherein the fourth wiring is a second signal line.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the fourth wiring is electrically connected to a shift register circuit.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first to sixth transistors are transistors comprising an oxide semiconductor.

9. An electronic appliance comprising the semiconductor device according to claim 1.

10. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first transistor;

a second transistor;

a third transistor;

a fourth transistor;

a fifth transistor;

a sixth transistor, and

a capacitor;

wherein a first terminal of the first transistor is directly connected to a first wiring, and a second terminal of the first transistor is directly connected to a second wiring,

wherein a first terminal of the second transistor is directly connected to a third wiring, and a second terminal of the second transistor is directly connected to the second wiring,

wherein a second terminal of the third transistor is electrically connected to a gate of the first transistor, and a gate of the third transistor is directly connected to a fourth wiring,

wherein a first terminal of the fourth transistor is directly connected to the third wiring, and a gate of the fourth transistor is directly connected to a gate of the second transistor,

wherein a first terminal of the fifth transistor is electrically connected to a fifth wiring, and a second terminal of the fifth transistor is directly connected to the gate of the second transistor,

wherein a first terminal of the sixth transistor is directly connected to the third wiring, a second terminal of the sixth transistor is directly connected to the gate of the second transistor, and a gate of the sixth transistor is electrically connected to the fourth wiring, and

wherein a first terminal of the capacitor is directly connected to the third wiring, and a second terminal of the capacitor is directly connected to the gate of the second transistor.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the third wiring is a power line.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the first wiring is a signal line.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the fifth wiring is a signal line.

14. A display device comprising:

a controller; and

a gate driver electrically connected to the controller, the gate driver comprising a semiconductor device according to claim 10.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 10,

wherein the first wiring is a first power supply line,

wherein the third wiring is a second power line,

wherein the fifth wiring is a third power line,

wherein the second wiring is a first signal line, and

wherein the fourth wiring is a second signal line.

16. The semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the fourth wiring is electrically connected to a shift register circuit.

17. The semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the first to sixth transistors are transistors comprising an oxide semiconductor.

18. An electronic appliance comprising the semiconductor device according to claim 10.