Semiconductor circuit having switching element, capacitor and operational amplifier circuit

• US 9,160,291 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2014
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Toyotaka, Kouhei
• Primary Examiner(s): Wells, Kenneth B
• Application Number:
  US14/454,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20140347129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 431 Days
• Field of Search: 327/94, 327/95, 327/337, 327/344, 327/345
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/45551 the IC comprising one or more switched capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/005 using switched capacitors, e.g. dynamic amplifiers; using switched capacitors as resistors in differential amplifiers H03F3/45 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/45 Differential amplifiers differential sense amplifiers G11C7/062
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/45071 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/45475 using IC blocks as the active amplifying circuit

Abstract

A semiconductor circuit which can have stable input output characteristics is provided. Specifically, a semiconductor circuit in which problems caused by the leakage current of a switching element are suppressed is provided. A field-effect transistor in which a wide band gap semiconductor, such as an oxide semiconductor, is used in a semiconductor layer where a channel is formed is used for a switching element included in a switched capacitor circuit. Such a transistor has a small leakage current in an off state. When the transistor is used as a switching element, a semiconductor circuit which has stable input output characteristics and in which problems caused by the leakage current are suppressed can be fabricated.

Claims

1. A semiconductor circuit comprising:

an operational amplifier circuit;

a first switching element which is electrically connected to one input terminal of the operational amplifier circuit through a first capacitor;

a second capacitor which is electrically connected between the one input terminal and an output terminal of the operational amplifier circuit;

a second switching element which is electrically connected between the one input terminal and the output terminal of the operational amplifier circuit; and

a third switching element comprising one electrode which is electrically connected between the first switching element and the first capacitor and the other electrode to which a reference voltage is input,

wherein the reference voltage is input to the other input terminal of the operational amplifier circuit,

wherein each of the first switching element and the second switching element comprises a field-effect transistor whose leakage current in an off state is less than or equal to 1×

10<sup>−

17</sup> A per channel width of 1 μ

m, and

wherein the first switching element and the second switching element are provided over the third switching element.

2. The semiconductor circuit according to claim 1, wherein in the field-effect transistor, an oxide semiconductor is comprised in a semiconductor layer in which a channel is formed.

3. The semiconductor circuit according to claim 1 is a switched capacitor amplifier circuit which amplifies voltage amplitude of a continuous time signal input as an input signal and outputs a discrete time signal as an output signal.

4. The semiconductor circuit according to claim 2, wherein the oxide semiconductor has a band gap greater than or equal to 2.0 eV.

5. The semiconductor circuit according to claim 1, wherein the third switching element is a field-effect transistor comprising silicon as a semiconductor element.

6. The semiconductor circuit according to claim 1, wherein the third switching element is a field-effect transistor comprising an oxide semiconductor as a semiconductor material.