Semiconductor device, lighting device, and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10501003-B2
Application number	US-201615210092-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2016
Priority date	Jul 17, 2015
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

A novel semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a first resistor and a second resistor. The first resistor and the second resistor are electrically connected in series. A resistance material of the first resistor includes a metal oxide, and a resistance material of the second resistor is different from the resistance material of the first resistor. The semiconductor device is configured to output a voltage corresponding to the resistance values of the first resistor and the second resistor. The voltage reflects the properties of the resistance materials of the first resistor and the second resistor. The semiconductor device may include a circuit for processing this voltage. In that case, the first resistor can be stacked over the circuit, resulting in the downsizing of the semiconductor device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A semiconductor device comprising:
an insulating layer;
a first resistor over the insulating layer; and
a second resistor covered with the insulating layer,
wherein the insulating layer is between the first resistor and the second resistor,
wherein the first resistor and the second resistor are electrically connected in series,
wherein a resistance material of the first resistor includes a metal oxide,
wherein the metal oxide includes indium,
wherein a resistance material of the second resistor is different from the resistance material of the first resistor,
wherein a resistance value of the second resistor has high temperature dependence, and
wherein a resistance value of the first resistor has low temperature dependence.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second resistor is a thermistor, a resistance thermometer, or a thermocouple.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the resistance material of the second resistor includes silicon.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the metal oxide includes zinc.

5. A vehicle comprising:
the semiconductor device according to claim 1 ; and
a car body.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first resistor is a transistor.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second resistor is a transistor.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first resistor and the second resistor overlap each other.

9. A semiconductor device comprising:
an insulating layer;
a first circuit comprising:
a first resistor over the insulating layer; and
a second resistor covered with the insulating layer; and

a second circuit,
wherein the insulating layer is between the first resistor and the second resistor,
wherein a first terminal of the first resistor is electrically connected to a first terminal of the second resistor,
wherein a resistance material of the first resistor includes a metal oxide,
wherein the metal oxide includes indium, and
wherein a resistance material of the second resistor is different from the resistance material of the first resistor,
wherein a resistance value of the second resistor has high temperature dependence,
wherein a resistance value of the first resistor has low temperature dependence, and
wherein the second circuit is configured to process a voltage output from the first terminal of the first resistor and generate a signal.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 9 , further comprising an electronic component,
wherein the electronic component includes a package and a die placed in the package, and
wherein the first resistor and the second circuit are provided in the die.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 9 , further comprising an electronic component,
wherein the electronic component includes a package and a die placed in the package, and
wherein the first resistor, the second resistor, and the second circuit are provided in the die.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 9 ,
wherein the second resistor is a thermistor, a resistance thermometer, or a thermocouple.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 9 ,
wherein the resistance material of the second resistor includes silicon.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 9 ,
wherein the first resistor is stacked over the second circuit.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 9 ,
wherein the metal oxide includes zinc.

16. The semiconductor device according to claim 9 ,
wherein a first voltage is configured to be input to a second terminal of the first resistor, and
wherein a second voltage which is lower than the first voltage is configured to be input to a second terminal of the second resistor.

17. A vehicle comprising:
the semiconductor device according to claim 9 ; and
a car body.

18. A semiconductor device comprising:
an insulating layer;
a first circuit comprising:
a first resistor over the insulating layer; and
a second resistor covered with the insulating layer;

a second circuit electrically connected to the first circuit;
a voltage generation circuit electrically connected to the second circuit; and
an LED electrically connected to the voltage generation circuit,
wherein the insulating layer is between the first resistor and the second resistor,
wherein a first terminal of the first resistor is electrically connected to a first terminal of the second resistor,
wherein a resistance material of the first resistor includes a metal oxide,
wherein the metal oxide includes indium, and
wherein a resistance material of the second resistor is different from the resistance material of the first resistor,

wherein a resistance value of the second resistor has high temperature dependence, wherein a resistance value of the first resistor has low temperature dependence,
wherein the first circuit is configured to output a voltage corresponding to the resistance values of the first resistor and the second resistor,
wherein the second circuit is configured to generate a signal in accordance with the voltage output from the first circuit, and
wherein the voltage generation circuit is configured to output a voltage for driving the LED in accordance with the signal.

19. The semiconductor device according to claim 18 ,
wherein the second resistor is a thermistor, a resistance thermometer, or a thermocouple.

20. The semiconductor device according to claim 18 ,
wherein the resistance material of the second resistor includes silicon.

21. The semiconductor device according to claim 18 ,
wherein the first resistor is stacked over the second circuit.

22. The semiconductor device according to claim 18 ,
wherein the metal oxide includes zinc.

23. The semiconductor device according to claim 18 ,
wherein a first voltage is configured to be input to a second terminal of the first resistor, and
wherein a second voltage which is lower than the first voltage is configured to be input to a second terminal of the second resistor.

24. A vehicle comprising:
the semiconductor device according to claim 18 ; and
a car body.

Assignees

• Semiconductor Energy Lab

Inventors

• Kimura Hajime
• Yamazaki Shunpei

Classifications

• F21S43/14

  Light emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• F21S41/141 Primary

  Light emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• H01L28/20

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L35/12

  Electricity · mapped topic

• B60Q1/00 Primary

  Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor (for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00) · CPC title