Semiconductor device and electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9337826-B2
Application number	US-201313887595-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2013
Priority date	May 11, 2012
Publication date	May 10, 2016
Grant date	May 10, 2016

Abstract

To reduce power consumption, a semiconductor device includes a power source circuit for generating a power source potential, and a power supply control switch for controlling supply of the power source potential from the power source circuit to a back gate of a transistor, and the power supply control switch includes a control transistor for controlling conduction between the power source circuit and the back gate of the transistor by being turned on or off in accordance with a pulse signal that is input into a control terminal of the control transistor. The power source potential is intermittently supplied from the power source circuit to the back gate of the transistor, using the power supply control switch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A semiconductor device comprising:
a circuit comprising a first transistor, the first transistor including a gate electrode and a back gate electrode for controlling a threshold voltage of the first transistor, wherein the back gate electrode is formed on and in contact with an insulating surface;
a switch comprising a second transistor;
a power source circuit electrically connected to the back gate electrode of the first transistor through the second transistor; and
a pulse output circuit electrically connected to a gate of the second transistor,
wherein each of the first transistor and the second transistor comprises a channel formation region, the channel formation region comprising an oxide semiconductor,
wherein the first transistor further includes an insulating layer over the back gate electrode, and
wherein the channel formation region of the first transistor is formed over the back gate electrode with the insulating layer therebetween, and the gate electrode of the first transistor is formed over the channel formation region of the first transistor.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second switch,
wherein a power source potential is supplied to the power source circuit through the second switch.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein a leakage current of the switch is lower than or equal to 1×10 −19 A.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the oxide semiconductor comprises indium, zinc and gallium.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the power source circuit is one of a charge pump, an inverted converter, and a Cuk-type converter.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the circuit is a shift register.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the circuit is a pixel circuit.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the circuit is an LSI.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the circuit is a sensor.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the second transistor is configured to turn off so that the back gate electrode is kept in a floating state.

11. A semiconductor device comprising:
a memory cell comprising a first transistor, the first transistor and a capacitor connected to one of a source and a drain of the first transistor, the first transistor including a gate electrode and a back gate electrode for controlling a threshold voltage of the first transistor, wherein the back gate electrode is formed on and in contact with an insulating surface;
a switch comprising a second transistor;
a power source circuit electrically connected to the back gate electrode of the first transistor through the second transistor; and
a pulse output circuit electrically connected to a gate of the second transistor,
wherein each of the first transistor and the second transistor comprises a channel formation region, the channel formation region comprising an oxide semiconductor,
wherein the first transistor further includes an insulating layer over the back gate electrode, and
wherein the channel formation region of the first transistor is formed over the back gate electrode with the insulating layer therebetween, and the gate electrode of the first transistor is formed over the channel formation region of the first transistor.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a second switch,
wherein a power source potential is supplied to the power source circuit through the second switch.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 11 , wherein a leakage current of the switch is lower than or equal to 1×10 −19 A.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 11 , wherein the oxide semiconductor comprises indium, zinc and gallium.

15. The semiconductor device according to claim 11 , wherein the power source circuit is one of a charge pump, an inverted converter, and a Cuk-type converter.

16. The semiconductor device according to claim 11 , wherein the second transistor is configured to turn off so that the back gate electrode is kept in a floating state.

17. A semiconductor device comprising:
a circuit comprising a first transistor, the first transistor including a gate electrode and a back gate electrode for controlling a threshold voltage of the first transistor wherein the back gate electrode is formed on and in contact with an insulating surface;
a first switch comprising a second transistor;
a first power source circuit electrically connected to the back gate electrode of the first transistor through the second transistor;
a second switch comprising a third transistor; and
a second power source circuit electrically connected to the back gate electrode of the first transistor through the third transistor;
wherein each of the first transistor, the second transistor and the third transistor comprises a channel formation region, the channel formation region comprising an oxide semiconductor,
wherein the first transistor further includes an insulating layer over the back gate electrode, and
wherein the channel formation region of the first transistor is formed over the back gate electrode with the insulating layer therebetween, and the gate electrode of the first transistor is formed over the channel formation region of the first transistor.

18. The semiconductor device according to claim 17 ,
wherein the first power source circuit is configured to generate a first power source potential, and
wherein the second power source circuit is configured to generate a second power source potential, the second power source potential having an opposite polarity to the first power source potential.

19. The semiconductor device according to claim 17 , wherein the circuit is a shift register.

20. The semiconductor device according to claim 17 , wherein the circuit is a pixel circuit.

21. The semiconductor device according to claim 17 , wherein the circuit is an LSI.

22. The semiconductor device according to claim 17 , wherein the circuit is a sensor.

23. The semiconductor device according to claim 17 , further comprising:
a first pulse output circuit electrically connected to a gate of the second transistor; and
a second pulse output circuit electrically connected to a gate of the second transistor.

24. The semiconductor device according to claim 17 , wherein the second transistor is configured to turn off so that the back gate electrode is kept in a floating state.

Assignees

• Semiconductor Energy Lab

Inventors

• Koyama Jun
• Yamazaki Shunpei

Classifications

• G11C16/0408

  comprising cells containing floating gate transistors (G11C16/0483, G11C16/0491 take precedence) · CPC title

• H03K2217/0018

  Special modifications or use of the back gate voltage of a FET · CPC title

• H03K17/302 Primary

  in field-effect transistor switches · CPC title

• H03K2217/0036

  Means reducing energy consumption · CPC title

• H10D30/6734

  having gate electrodes arranged on both top and bottom sides of the channel, e.g. dual-gate TFTs · CPC title