Semiconductor device

• US 8,981,518 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2014
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kamata, Koichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Campbell, Shaun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gupta, Raj R
• Application Number:
  US14/456,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20140347777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 218 Days
• Field of Search: 257491-492
• US Class Current: 257/491
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0701 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0715 the arrangement including means to regulate power transfer to the integrated circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0248 for electrical or thermal protection, e.g. electrostatic discharge [ESD] protection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0285 bias arrangements for gate electrode of field effect transistors, e.g. RC networks, voltage partitioning circuits H01L27/0281 takes precedence
• 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: H02H 9/046 responsive to excess voltage appearing at terminals of integrated circuits protection by specific structural integration design H01L27/0248
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/32 Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/217 using semiconductor devices only

Abstract

To prevent damage on an element even when a voltage high enough to break the element is input. A semiconductor device of the invention operates with a first voltage and includes a protection circuit which changes the value of the first voltage when the absolute value of the first voltage is higher than a reference value. The protection circuit includes: a control signal generation circuit generating a second voltage based on the first voltage and outputting the generated second voltage; and a voltage control circuit. The voltage control circuit includes a transistor which has a source, a drain, and a gate, and which is turned on or off depending on the second voltage input to the gate and thus controls whether the value of the first voltage is changed based on the amount of current flowing between the source and the drain. The transistor also includes an oxide semiconductor layer.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a rectifier circuit; and

a protection circuit comprising;

a first transistor;

a second transistor;

a rectifier element;

a first resistor; and

a second resistor,

wherein an input terminal of the rectifier circuit is electrically connected to one of a source and a drain of the second transistor,

wherein an output terminal of the rectifier circuit is electrically connected to one of a source and a drain of the first transistor and a first terminal of the second resistor,

wherein a second terminal of the second resistor is electrically connected to a terminal of the rectifier element and a gate of the first transistor,

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

wherein a semiconductor layer of the first transistor includes silicon, and

wherein a semiconductor layer of the second transistor includes an oxide semiconductor.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer of the second transistor comprises at least one of indium, gallium, tin, and zinc.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a band gap of the semiconductor layer of the second transistor is equal to or more than 2 eV.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a carrier concentration of the semiconductor layer of the second transistor is less than 1×

10¹⁴/cm³.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer of the second transistor comprises a crystalline region including a c-axis aligned in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the semiconductor layer of the second transistor.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a capacitor,

wherein a first terminal of the capacitor is electrically connected to the one of the source and the drain of the second transistor, and

wherein a second terminal of the capacitor is electrically connected to the input terminal of the rectifier circuit.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the rectifier element is a diode or a diode-connected transistor.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the diode-connected transistor includes an oxide semiconductor.

9. A semiconductor device comprising:

a rectifier circuit; and

a protection circuit comprising;

a first circuit comprising;

a first transistor;

a rectifier element;

a first resistor; and

a second resistor; and

a second circuit comprising;

a second transistor,

wherein an input terminal of the rectifier circuit is electrically connected to the second circuit,

wherein an output terminal of the rectifier circuit is electrically connected to the first circuit,

wherein a terminal of the second resistor is electrically connected to a terminal of the rectifier element and a gate of the first transistor,

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

wherein a semiconductor layer of the first transistor includes silicon, and

wherein a semiconductor layer of the second transistor includes an oxide semiconductor.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the semiconductor layer of the second transistor comprises at least one of indium, gallium, tin, and zinc.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein a band gap of the semiconductor layer of the second transistor is equal to or more than 2 eV.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein a carrier concentration of the semiconductor layer of the second transistor is less than 1×

10¹⁴/cm³.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the semiconductor layer of the second transistor comprises a crystalline region including a c-axis aligned in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the semiconductor layer of the second transistor.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the second circuit comprises a capacitor, a terminal of the capacitor is electrically connected to one of a source and a drain of the second transistor.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein the rectifier element is a diode or a diode-connected transistor.

16. The semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein the diode-connected transistor includes an oxide semiconductor.

17. A semiconductor device comprising:

an antenna;

a rectifier circuit electrically connected to the antenna; and

a protection circuit comprising;

a first transistor;

a second transistor;

a rectifier element;

a first resistor; and

a second resistor,

wherein an input terminal of the rectifier circuit is electrically connected to one of a source and a drain of the second transistor,

wherein an output terminal of the rectifier circuit is electrically connected to one of a source and a drain of the first transistor and a first terminal of the second resistor,

wherein a second terminal of the second resistor is electrically connected to a terminal of the rectifier element and a gate of the first transistor,

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

wherein a semiconductor layer of the first transistor includes silicon, and

wherein a semiconductor layer of the second transistor includes an oxide semiconductor.

18. The semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein the semiconductor layer of the second transistor comprises at least one of indium, gallium, tin, and zinc.

19. The semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein a band gap of the semiconductor layer of the second transistor is equal to or more than 2 eV.

20. The semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein a carrier concentration of the semiconductor layer of the second transistor is less than 1×

10¹⁴/cm³.

21. The semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein the semiconductor layer of the second transistor comprises a crystalline region including a c-axis aligned in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the semiconductor layer of the second transistor.

22. The semiconductor device according to claim 17, further comprising a capacitor,

wherein a first terminal of the capacitor is electrically connected to the one of the source and the drain of the second transistor, and

wherein a second terminal of the capacitor is electrically connected to the input terminal of the rectifier circuit.

23. The semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein the rectifier element is a diode or a diode-connected transistor.

24. The semiconductor device according to claim 23, wherein the diode-connected transistor includes an oxide semiconductor.

25. A semiconductor device comprising:

an antenna;

a rectifier circuit electrically connected to the antenna; and

a protection circuit comprising;

a first circuit comprising;

a first transistor;

a rectifier element;

a first resistor; and

a second resistor; and

a second circuit comprising;

a second transistor,

wherein an input terminal of the rectifier circuit is electrically connected to the second circuit,

wherein an output terminal of the rectifier circuit is electrically connected to the first circuit,

wherein a terminal of the second resistor is electrically connected to a terminal of the rectifier element and a gate of the first transistor,

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

wherein a semiconductor layer of the first transistor includes silicon, and

wherein a semiconductor layer of the second transistor includes an oxide semiconductor.

26. The semiconductor device according to claim 25, wherein the semiconductor layer of the second transistor comprises at least one of indium, gallium, tin, and zinc.

27. The semiconductor device according to claim 25, wherein a band gap of the semiconductor layer of the second transistor is equal to or more than 2 eV.

28. The semiconductor device according to claim 25, wherein a carrier concentration of the semiconductor layer of the second transistor is less than 1×

10¹⁴/cm³.

29. The semiconductor device according to claim 25, wherein the semiconductor layer of the second transistor comprises a crystalline region including a c-axis aligned in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the semiconductor layer of the second transistor.

30. The semiconductor device according to claim 25, wherein the second circuit comprises a capacitor, a terminal of the capacitor is electrically connected to one of a source and a drain of the second transistor.

31. The semiconductor device according to claim 25, wherein the rectifier element is a diode or a diode-connected transistor.

32. The semiconductor device according to claim 31, wherein the diode-connected transistor includes an oxide semiconductor.