Abstract: A method of manufacturing according to an embodiment of the present invention includes forming a seed metal layer 20a on a supporting substrate 70, forming an interconnect layer 10 including an interconnect 18 on the seed metal layer 20a, removing the supporting substrate 70 after forming the interconnect layer 10, and patterning the seed metal layer 20a thus to form an interconnect 20 after removing the supporting substrate.

Abstract: A process margin of an interconnect is to be expanded, to minimize the impact of vibration generated during a scanning motion of a scanning type exposure equipment. In a semiconductor device, the interconnect handling a greater amount of data (frequently used interconnect) is disposed in a same orientation such that the longitudinal direction of the interconnects is aligned with a scanning direction of a scanning type exposure equipment, in an interconnect layer that includes a narrowest interconnect or a narrowest spacing between the interconnects. Aligning thus the direction of the vibration with the longitudinal direction of the pattern can minimize the positional deviation due to the vibration.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having trenches extending thereinto. A trench type insulating film fills the trenches. The trench type insulating film includes a first and second insulating film and is laminated in a portion of the trenches.

Abstract: The semiconductor design support apparatus relating to the layout verification. For executing layout verification in high accuracy, the apparatus includes a unit for generating a recognition pattern in a region having a first axis of symmetry and a second axis of symmetry orthogonal to the first axis. The recognition pattern is asymmetric to both first and second axes. The layout execution unit determines the layout of a macrocell including the recognition pattern to generate layout pattern data. The layout verification unit read the pattern data of the recognition pattern included in the macrocell based on the layout pattern data and verify the arrangement direction of the macrocell based on the recognition pattern.

Abstract: A step-down circuit is connected between a power supply node for supplying a supply voltage and an internal power supply line for supplying a power to the object circuit and steps-down the supply voltage, and supplies the stepped-down voltage to the object circuit through the internal power supply line. The step-down circuit includes a comparison circuit that compares a reference voltage with the voltage of the internal power supply line, and a driver that adjusts a current flowing between the internal power supply line and the power supply node according to the comparison result of the comparison circuit. The activity level of the driver is controlled so as to rise in a predetermined rising period synchronously with an activated operation of the object circuit and to fall in a predetermined falling period that comes after the rising period.

Abstract: A wiring board in which lower-layer wiring composed of a wiring body and an etching barrier layer is formed in a concave portion formed on one face of a board-insulating film, upper-layer wiring is formed on the other face of the board-insulating film, and the upper-layer wiring and the wiring body of the lower-layer wiring are connected to each other through a via hole formed in the board-insulating film. The via hole is barrel-shaped, bell-shaped, or bellows-shaped.

Abstract: A display panel driver is composed of a grayscale voltage generator configured to develop a set of different grayscale voltages corresponding to grayscale levels of pixels within a display panel; and a plurality of grayscale selector driver circuits each of which is responsive to pixel data to select one of the grayscale voltages, and to provide a drive voltage corresponding to the selected one of the grayscale voltages for a selected pixel within the display panel. The grayscale voltage generator is allowed to output the set of grayscale voltages during a first period within a horizontal period, and prohibited from outputting the set of grayscale voltages during a second period within the horizontal period.

Abstract: A non-volatile semiconductor storage device, includes a memory array including memory cells, a plurality of word lines installed in the memory array, a sub-decoder including a pull-up power line, a pull-down power line and a plurality of drivers, a pre-decoder coupled to the sub-decoder, and generating a pre-decode signal; and a main decoder coupled to the sub-decoder, and generating a main decode signal. A potential of the pull-up power line and a potential of the pull-down power line are controlled in response to the main decode signal. The plurality of drivers drives the plurality of word lines in response to the pre-decode signal.

Abstract: Disclosed is a serial-to-parallel converter/parallel-to-serial converter/FIFO unified circuit which includes a register, a selector and a counter. The register receives serial input data and converts the serial data into parallel data based on frequency-divided multi-phase clock signals from a counter. The selector receives the parallel data from the register to select one of the data in accordance with a control signal. The counter generates the control signal for the selector so that plural items of data will be output serially from the selector in the sequence in which the plural items data have been serially supplied to the register.

Abstract: Provided is an analog-digital converter circuit including: a comparison unit that sequentially compares an analog input voltage with reference voltages, which sequentially vary, and outputs a comparison result as a digital value; a standard voltage generation unit that generates a standard voltage for correcting the reference voltages; a storage unit that stores a comparison result of the standard voltage obtained by the comparison unit; and a reference voltage generation unit that generates the reference voltages based on the comparison result of the standard voltage.

Abstract: A termination resistance adjusting circuit includes a first termination resistor circuit, a second termination resistor circuit connected in parallel with the first termination resistor circuit, a resistor circuit for adjustment that adjusts resistances of the first and second termination resistor circuits, a first amplifier circuit that receives a first voltage determined by the resistor circuit for adjustment and a second voltage determined by a reference resistor connected externally, equalizes the first and second voltages, and outputs a resistance adjusting signal to the first and second termination resistor circuits, first and second terminals connected to the first and second termination resistor circuits respectively, and a second amplifier circuit that receives a voltage based on a common voltage of a differential signal supplied to the first and second terminals, and the first or second voltage, and equalizes the voltage based on the common voltage and the first or second voltage.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for an electronic device joining a first metallic bond part formed on a first electronic component and a second metallic bond part formed on a second electronic component includes a first process for placing the first metallic bond part directly against the second metallic bond part, applying pressure to the first electronic component and the second electronic component, joining the first metallic bond part to the second metallic bond part with solid-phase diffusion, and releasing the applied pressure, and a second process for heating the first electronic component and the second electronic component at a predetermined temperature such that the first metallic bond part and the second metallic bond part are joined together by melting the first metallic bond part and the second metallic bond part.

Abstract: To improve the precision of temperature compensation in an infrared sensor and obtain a sharp image, a correction is applied to a variation in output voltage (referred to as “background infrared radiation absorption intensity distribution” below) due to intensity distribution of background infrared radiation, which is light other than the incident infrared radiation on the infrared sensor, and the temperature characteristic of each individual bolometer constituting the infrared sensor. That is, the temperature of the infrared sensor is measured as a first temperature, a correction value for the output voltage of each bolometer is found by referring to a table, which indicates the background infrared radiation absorption intensity distribution versus the temperature of the infrared sensor, as well as the first temperature, and the variation in output voltage is corrected.

Abstract: A designing method for a semiconductor device includes: determining a placement of metal wirings to be connected to contact holes and a placement of through-holes for preparing the contact holes. The determining step includes: specifying areas in one of the metal wirings to be exposed by the through-holes, specifying a capacitance of the metal wirings, and determining the placement of the metal wirings such that damage to the areas is suppressed in a case where electric charges accumulated in the capacitance are transferred from one of the metal wirings to a polar solvent through the areas.

Abstract: A level shifter includes a first level shift circuit that converts a signal level of a first pulse signal into an amplitude level of a power supply voltage, and a second level shift circuit that converts a signal level of the second pulse signal into an amplitude level. Each of the first and second level shift circuits includes a first conductivity type transistor having its gate receiving the first and second pulse signals respectively, its source connected to a ground, and its drain outputs a level shifted pulse signal, and a first transistor of a second conductivity type having its gate connected to the gate of the transistor of the first conductivity type, its drain connected to the drain of the transistor of the first conductivity type, and its source connected to the power supply via a connected transistor group, and the connected transistor group includes at least one of the second conductivity type transistors.

Abstract: An input circuit, includes a first buffer circuit having an output signal terminal connected to an output; a capacitor having one end connected to an input signal terminal, and the other end connected to an input of the first buffer circuit; a first differential amplification circuit receiving a voltage of a first external power source terminal and an output of a second buffer circuit; a second differential amplification circuit receiving a voltage of a second external power source terminal and an output of a third buffer circuit; a first resistance having one end connected to an output of the first differential amplification circuit, and the other end connected between the capacitor and the first buffer circuit; and a second resistance having one end connected to an output of the second differential amplification circuit, and the other end connected between the capacitor and the first buffer circuit.

Abstract: To strengthen tolerance to radiation. Source and back gate of P-channel transistor P1 are connected to power supply. Gate of the P-channel transistor P1 is connected to input terminal IN. Gate of N1 is connected to IN. Drain of N1 is connected to OUT. Cathode of diode D1 is connected to power supply, anode of D1 being connected to OUT. Cathode of diode D2 is connected to OUT, anode of D2 being grounded. When seen from a direction perpendicular to a substrate on which an inverter circuit is formed, a projection plane of a region of a p+ diffusion layer of D1 includes a projection plane of a region of an n+ diffusion layer of N, and a projection plane of a region of an n+ diffusion layer of the diode D2 includes a projection plane of a region of a p+ diffusion layer of P1.

Abstract: Aimed at suppressing roughening in a circumferential portion of a layer to be etched in the process of removing a hard mask formed thereon, an etching apparatus of the present invention has a process chamber, an electrode, a stage, and a shadow ring, wherein the process chamber allows an etching gas to be introduced therein; the electrode is disposed in the process chamber, and is used for generating plasma by ionizing the etching gas; the stage is disposed in the process chamber, onto which a substrate is disposed; the shadow ring has an irregular pattern on the inner circumferential edge thereof, and is disposed in the process chamber and placed above the stage 30, so as to cover a circumferential portion and an inner region adjacent thereto of the substrate in a non-contact manner.

Abstract: A cache memory arranged between a processor and a low-speed memory and performing a pipeline processing of a memory access made by the processor. In a first stage, the cache memory reads out a tag address from a tag memory. In a second stage, the cache memory performs a hit decision by a hit decision unit. When the hit decision result is a miss hit, the cache memory performs an update control of the tag memory and a behavior control of a bypass circuit for supplying a data held in a latch circuit to the hit decision unit by bypassing the tag memory in a third stage. The latch circuit is configured to hold a tag address included in a input address supplied from the processor.

Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device in accordance with the present invention is provided with a plurality of memory cells of field effect transistor type, a source bias control circuit, and a drain bias control circuit. The source bias control circuit variably sets the potential of a source line connected in common to the sources of the plurality of memory cells at the time of write operation. The drain bias control circuit variably sets the potential of the drains of the plurality of memory cells at the time of write operation according to the potential of the source line.