Semiconductor device and power source control method

• US 9,473,016 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2014
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LAPIS Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (ROHM Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: LAPIS Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (ROHM Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hidaka, Yuto
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehari, Yemane
• Application Number:
  US14/455,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20150048813A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 323/311, 323/312
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/36 Means for starting or stopping converters
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/018521 of complementary type, e.g. CMOS

Abstract

There is provided a semiconductor device including: a power source section that steps down a power source voltage to generate a step-down voltage, and that stops generation of the step-down voltage when input with a stop signal; a control section that is driven by the step-down voltage generated by the power source section, and that outputs to the power source section a stop signal to stop generation of the step-down voltage; and a power source controller that prohibits input of the stop signal to the power source section until the step-down voltage has become a predetermined value or greater.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a power source section configured to step down a power source voltage to generate a step-down voltage, and to stop generation of the step-down voltage responsive to input of a stop signal;

a control section configured to be driven by the step-down voltage generated by the power source section, and to output the stop signal to the power source section to stop generation of the step-down voltage; and

a power source controller configured to prohibit input of the stop signal to the power source section until the step-down voltage becomes a predetermined value or greater,

wherein the power source controller comprises

a first N-channel MOS transistor having a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a bulk electrode connected to ground voltage,

a first P-channel MOS transistor having a source electrode and a bulk electrode connected to the power source voltage, and a gate electrode and a drain electrode connected to a drain electrode of the first N-channel MOS transistor,

a second P-channel MOS transistor having a source electrode and a bulk electrode connected to the power source voltage, and a gate electrode connected to the gate electrode of the first P-channel MOS transistor,

a second N-channel MOS transistor having a source electrode connected to the ground voltage, a gate electrode connected to the step-down voltage, and a drain electrode connected to a drain electrode of the second P-channel MOS transistor, and that is configured to switch ON when the step-down voltage becomes the predetermined value or greater to place a drain electrode potential of the second P-channel MOS transistor at a low level,

a logic inverting circuit that is driven by the power source voltage, that has an input terminal connected to the drain electrode of the second N-channel MOS transistor and the drain electrode of the second P-channel MOS transistor, and that is configured to invert a signal input at the input terminal to provide an output signal, and

an AND circuit configured to perform an AND computation of the output signal from the logic inverting circuit and the stop signal.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1, further comprising:

a step-up section configured to step up the stop signal output from the control section to a voltage level of the power source voltage, and to output the stop signal to the power source controller,

wherein the power source section is configured to stop generation of the step-down voltage when input with the stepped up stop signal.

3. A semiconductor device comprising:

a power source section configured to step down a power source voltage to generate a step-down voltage, and to stop generation of the step-down voltage responsive to input of a stop signal;

a control section configured to be driven by the step-down voltage generated by the power source section, and to output the stop signal to the power source section to stop generation of the step-down voltage; and

a power source controller configured to prohibit input of the stop signal to the power source section until the step-down voltage becomes a predetermined value or greater,

wherein the power source controller comprises

a first N-channel MOS transistor having a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a bulk electrode connected to a ground voltage,

a first P-channel MOS transistor having a source electrode and a bulk electrode connected to the power source voltage, and a gate electrode and a drain electrode connected to a drain electrode of the first N-channel MOS transistor,

a second P-channel MOS transistor having a source electrode and a bulk electrode connected to the power source voltage, and a gate electrode connected to the gate electrode of the first P-channel MOS transistor and the drain electrode of the first N-channel MOS transistor,

a second N-channel MOS transistor having a source electrode and a bulk electrode connected to the ground voltage, and a gate electrode and a drain electrode connected to a drain electrode of the second P-channel MOS transistor,

a third N-channel MOS transistor having a source electrode and a bulk electrode connected to the ground voltage, and a gate electrode connected to the gate electrode of the second N-channel MOS transistor,

a third P-channel MOS transistor having a source electrode and a bulk electrode connected to the step-down voltage, and a gate electrode and a drain electrode connected to a drain electrode of the third N-channel MOS transistor,

a fourth P-channel MOS transistor having a source electrode and a bulk electrode connected to the power source voltage, and a gate electrode connected to the respective gate electrodes of the first P-channel MOS transistor and the second P-channel MOS transistor,

a fourth N-channel MOS transistor having a source electrode and a bulk electrode connected to the ground voltage, a drain electrode connected to a drain electrode of the fourth P-channel MOS transistor, and a gate electrode connected to the respective drain electrodes of the third P-channel MOS transistor and the third N-channel MOS transistor, the fourth N-channel MOS transistor configured to switch ON when the step-down voltage becomes the predetermined value or greater and voltages of the respective drain electrodes of the third P-channel MOS transistor and the third N-channel MOS transistor have reached the predetermined value or greater, to place a drain electrode voltage of the fourth P-channel MOS transistor at a low level,

a logic inverting circuit that is driven by the power source voltage, that has an input terminal connected to the respective drain electrodes of the fourth N-channel MOS transistor and the fourth P-channel MOS transistor, and that is configured to invert a signal input at the input terminal to provide an output signal, and

an AND circuit configured to perform an AND computation of the output signal from the logic inverting circuit and the stop signal.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 3, further comprising:

a fifth P-channel MOS transistor having a source electrode connected to the drain electrode and the gate electrode of the third fifth P-channel MOS transistor, a bulk electrode connected to the step-down voltage, and a drain electrode and a gate electrode connected to the drain electrode of the third N-channel MOS transistor.

5. A power source control method comprising:

stepping down a power source voltage using a power source section to generate a step-down voltage, and stopping generation of the step-down voltage responsive to input of a stop signal;

outputting to the power source section the stop signal from a control section to stop generation of the step-down voltage, the control section driven by the step-down voltage; and

prohibiting input of the stop signal to the power source section using a power source controller until the step-down voltage becomes a predetermined value or greater,

wherein the power source controller comprises

a first N-channel MOS transistor having a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a bulk electrode connected to ground voltage,

a first P-channel MOS transistor having a source electrode and a bulk electrode connected to the power source voltage, and a gate electrode and a drain electrode connected to a drain electrode of the first N-channel MOS transistor,

a second P-channel MOS transistor having a source electrode and a bulk electrode connected to the power source voltage, and a gate electrode connected to the gate electrode of the first P-channel MOS transistor,

a second N-channel MOS transistor having a source electrode connected to the ground voltage, a gate electrode connected to the step-down voltage, and a drain electrode connected to a drain electrode of the second P-channel MOS transistor, and that switches ON when the step-down voltage becomes the predetermined value or greater to place a drain electrode potential of the second P-channel MOS transistor at a low level,

a logic inverting circuit that is driven by the power source voltage, that has an input terminal connected to the drain electrode of the second N-channel MOS transistor and the drain electrode of the second P-channel MOS transistor, and that inverts a signal input at the input terminal to provide an output signal, and

an AND circuit that performs an AND computation of the output signal from the logic inverting circuit and the stop signal.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

stepping up the stop signal output from the control section to the voltage level of the power source voltage, and outputting the stop signal to the power source controller,

the power source section stopping generation of the step-down voltage responsive to input of the stepped up stop signal.