Voltage controlled oscillator, semiconductor device, and electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9843308-B2
Application number	US-201615203910-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2016
Priority date	Mar 6, 2014
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

A low-power voltage controlled oscillator is provided. The voltage controlled oscillator includes (2n+1) first circuit components (n is an integer of one or more). An output terminal of the first circuit component in a k-th stage (k is an integer of one or more and 2n or less) is connected to an input terminal of the first circuit component in a (k+1)-th stage. An output terminal of the first circuit component in a (2n+1)-th stage is connected to an input terminal of the first circuit component in a first stage. One of the first circuit components includes a second circuit component and a third circuit component whose input terminal is connected to an output terminal of the second circuit component. The third circuit component includes a first transistor and a second transistor whose source-drain resistance is controlled in accordance with a signal input to a gate through the first transistor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A voltage controlled oscillator comprising:
a first circuit component including a second circuit component and a third circuit component,
wherein the second circuit component including any of an inverter, a NAND circuit, and a NOR circuit, and
wherein an input terminal of the third circuit component is connected to an output terminal of the second circuit component,
wherein the third circuit component includes a first transistor, a second transistor having a gate connected to one of a source and a drain of the first transistor, and a capacitor including an electrode connected to the gate of the second transistor, and
wherein channel formation regions of the first transistor and the second transistor includes different material.

2. The voltage controlled oscillator according to claim 1 , wherein the channel formation region of the first transistor includes indium, gallium, and zinc.

3. The voltage controlled oscillator according to claim 1 , wherein the channel formation region of the second transistor is in a semiconductor substrate.

4. The voltage controlled oscillator according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage controlled oscillator maintains to oscillate even after the first transistor is switched from on to off.

5. The voltage controlled oscillator according to claim 1 , wherein a potential of the gate of the second transistor is held after the first transistor is switched from on to off.

6. A semiconductor device comprising:
the voltage controlled oscillator according to claim 1 ; and
a logic circuit.

7. An electronic device comprising:
the voltage controlled oscillator according to claim 1 ; and
a display device.

8. A voltage controlled oscillator comprising:
a first circuit component including a second circuit component and a third circuit component,
wherein the second circuit component including any of an inverter, a NAND circuit, and a NOR circuit, and
wherein an input terminal of the third circuit component is connected to an output terminal of the second circuit component,
wherein the third circuit component includes a first transistor, a second transistor having a gate connected to one of a source and a drain of the first transistor, and a capacitor including an electrode connected to the gate of the second transistor, and
wherein a channel formation region of the first transistor is provided over a channel formation region of the second transistor.

9. The voltage controlled oscillator according to claim 8 , wherein the channel formation region of the first transistor includes indium, gallium, and zinc.

10. The voltage controlled oscillator according to claim 8 , wherein the channel formation region of the second transistor is in a semiconductor substrate.

11. The voltage controlled oscillator according to claim 8 , wherein the voltage controlled oscillator maintains to oscillate even after the first transistor is switched from on to off.

12. The voltage controlled oscillator according to claim 8 , wherein a potential of the gate of the second transistor is held after the first transistor is switched from on to off.

13. A semiconductor device comprising:
the voltage controlled oscillator according to claim 8 ; and
a logic circuit.

14. An electronic device comprising:
the voltage controlled oscillator according to claim 8 ; and
a display device.

Assignees

• Semiconductor Energy Lab

Inventors

• Kozuma Munehiro
• Kurokawa Yoshiyuki
• Ikeda Takayuki

Classifications

• H03K3/012 Primary

  Modifications of generator to improve response time or to decrease power consumption · CPC title

• H03B1/02

  Structural details of power oscillators, e.g. for heating {(construction of transmitters H04B; features of generators for heating by electromagnetic fields H05B6/00)} · CPC title

• H03L7/0995

  the oscillator comprising a ring oscillator · CPC title

• H03K3/0315

  Ring oscillators · CPC title

• H03L2207/08

  Modifications of the phase-locked loop for ensuring constant frequency when the power supply fails or is interrupted, e.g. for saving power · CPC title