RFID device having nonvolatile ferroelectric capacitor

• US 20060267766A1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Incorporated (SK Hynix Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Incorporated (SK Hynix Inc.)
• Inventors: Kang, Hee Bok, Ahn, Jin Hong
• Granted Patent: US 7,710,240 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• 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

Abstract

A capacitor applied to a voltage multiplier and a modulator/demodulator of a RFID device is formed as a nonvolatile ferroelectric capacitor formed by the same process of a memory cell capacitor. The nonvolatile ferroelectric capacitor has a high dielectric constant to reduce the area of the capacitor.

Claims

1. A RFID device comprising:

an antenna adapted and configured to transmit and receive a radio frequency signal to/from an external communication apparatus;

an analog block including a voltage multiplier adapted and configured to generate a power voltage depending on the radio frequency signal received through the antenna;

a digital block adapted and configured to receive the power voltage, process the radio frequency signal received through the antenna, and transmit a response signal to the analog block;

and a memory adapted and configured to store data,

wherein the voltage multiplier comprises;

a plurality of rectification units each adapted and configured to rectify the radio frequency signal applied through the antenna; and

a plurality of charge pumping units each adapted and configured to include a plurality of nonvolatile ferroelectric capacitors and to charge-pump a voltage rectified in the plurality of rectification units.

2. The RFID device of claim 1, wherein the voltage multiplier further comprises a stress prevention unit adapted and configured to prevent application of a voltage stress over a threshold voltage to the plurality of nonvolatile ferroelectric capacitors.

3. The RFID device of claim 2, wherein the stress prevention unit comprises a plurality of ferroelectric capacitors each adapted and configured to be serially connected between an output terminal and a ground terminal and to store a predetermined voltage.

4. The RFID device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of nonvolatile ferroelectric capacitors is formed by an identical process as that used to form a cell capacitor of the memory.

5. The RFID device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of nonvolatile ferroelectric capacitors is formed as a surface barrier transistor.

6. The RFID device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of nonvolatile ferroelectric capacitors is formed as a piezoelectric transistor.

7. The RFID device of claim 1, wherein the rectification unit comprises a plurality of schottky diodes.

8. A RFID device comprising:

an antenna adapted and configured to transmit and receive a radio frequency signal from an external communication apparatus;

an analog block including a demodulator adapted and configured to demodulate an operating command signal in response to the radio frequency signal received through the antenna;

a digital block adapted and configured to receive the operating command signal and process data received through the antenna to transmit a response signal to the analog block; and

a memory adapted and configured to store the data,

wherein the demodulator comprises;

a plurality of rectification units each adapted and configured to rectify the radio frequency signal applied through the antenna; and

a plurality of charge pumping units each adapted and configured to include a plurality of nonvolatile ferroelectric capacitors and to charge-pump a voltage rectified in the plurality of rectification units.

9. The RFID device of claim 8, wherein the demodulator further comprises a resistor unit connected between an output terminal and a ground terminal.

10. The RFID device of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of nonvolatile ferroelectric capacitors is formed by an identical process as that used to form a cell capacitor of the memory.

11. The RFID device of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of nonvolatile ferroelectric capacitors is formed as a surface barrier transistor.

12. The RFID device of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of nonvolatile ferroelectric capacitors is a piezoelectric transistor.

13. The RFID device of claim 8, wherein the rectification unit includes a plurality of schottky diodes.

14. A RFID device comprising:

an antenna adapted and configured to transmit and receive a radio frequency signal from an external communication apparatus;

an analog block including a modulator adapted and configured to modulate a response signal and output the radio frequency signal through the antenna;

a digital block adapted and configured to process the radio frequency signal received through the antenna and transmit the response signal to the analog block; and

a memory adapted and configured to store data,

wherein the modulator comprises;

a modulator driving unit adapted and configured to output a modulator driving signal in response to the response signal; and

an input impedance modulation unit adapted and configured to include a plurality of serially connected nonvolatile ferroelectric capacitors and change input impedance in response to the modulator driving signal.

15. The RFID device of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of nonvolatile ferroelectric capacitors is configured to receive the modulator driving signal through a common connection terminal.

16. The RFID device of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of nonvolatile ferroelectric capacitors is formed by an identical process as that used to form a cell capacitor of the memory.

17. The RFID device of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of nonvolatile ferroelectric capacitors is formed as a surface barrier transistor.

18. The RFID device of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of nonvolatile ferroelectric capacitors is formed as a piezoelectric transistor.

19. A RFID device comprising:

an antenna adapted and configured to transmit and receive a radio frequency signal from an external communication apparatus;

an analog block including a voltage multiplier adapted and configured to generate a power voltage in response to a radio frequency signal received through the antenna, a demodulator adapted and configured to demodulate an operating command signal in response to the radio frequency signal received through the antenna, and a modulator adapted and configured to modulate a response signal and output the radio frequency signal through the antenna;

a digital block adapted and configured to receive the operating command signal by the power voltage and process data to transmit the response signal to the analog block;

and a memory adapted and configured to store the data,

wherein the voltage multiplier comprises;

a plurality of rectification units each adapted and configured to rectify the radio frequency signal applied through the antenna; and

a plurality of first nonvolatile ferroelectric capacitors and a plurality of charge pumping units each adapted and configured to charge-pump a voltage rectified in the plurality of rectification units;

the demodulator comprises;

a plurality of rectification units each adapted and configured to rectify a radio frequency signal applied through the antenna and a plurality of second nonvolatile ferroelectric capacitors and a plurality of charge pumping units each adapted and configured to charge-pump a voltage rectified in the plurality of rectification units; and

the modulator comprises;

a modulator driving unit adapted and configured to output a modulator driving signal in response to the response signal; and

a plurality of third nonvolatile ferroelectric capacitors and an input impedance modulation unit adapted and configured to change input impedance in response to the modulator driving signal and transmit a phase-changed signal to the antenna.

20. The RFID device according to claim 19, wherein each of the first through the third nonvolatile ferroelectric capacitors is formed by an identical process as that used to form a cell capacitor of the memory.