Abstract: In a semiconductor device, a lower multi-layered interconnect structure, an intermediate via-level insulating interlayer, and an upper multi-layered interconnect structure are stacked in this order in a region overlapped with a bonding pad in a plan view; upper interconnects and vias of the upper multi-layered interconnect structure are formed so as to be connected to the bonding pad in the pad placement region; the intermediate via-level insulating interlayer has no electro-conductive material layer, which connect the interconnects or vias in the upper multi-layered interconnect structure with interconnects or vias in the lower multi-layered interconnect structure, formed therein; and the ratio of area occupied by the vias in the via-level insulating interlayers contained in the lower multi-layered interconnect structure is smaller than the ratio of area occupied by the vias in the via-level insulating interlayers contained in the upper multi-layered interconnect structure.

Abstract: A standard cell includes an input terminal, an output terminal, first and second inverters coupled in series between the input and output terminals, the first inverter including a first transistor of a first conductivity type and a second transistor of a second conductivity type, the first transistor being coupled between a first power source terminal and a first node, and the second transistor being coupled between a second node and a second power source terminal, and a plurality of resistance elements which are used to provide a conductivity path between the first and second nodes, in order to adjust a duty ratio of a signal which passes the standard cell.

Abstract: A semiconductor device capable of dissipating heat, which has been produced in an ESD protection element, to the exterior of the device rapidly and efficiently includes an ESD protection element having a drain region, a source region and a gate electrode, and a thermal diffusion portion. The thermal diffusion portion, which has been formed on the drain region, has a metal layer electrically connected to a pad, and contacts connecting the drain region and metal layer. The metal layer has a first wiring trace extending along the gate electrode, and second wiring traces intersecting the first wiring trace perpendicularly. The contacts are connected to intersections between the first wiring trace and the second wiring traces. Heat that has been produced at a pn-junction of the ESD protection element and transferred through a contact is diffused simultaneously in three directions through the first wiring trace and second wiring trace in the metal layer and is released into the pad.

Abstract: In an mode of this invention, a digital/analog conversion circuit, includes: a digital/analog conversion portion which outputs a first current according to an input digital signal; and a first current mirror circuit which generates a mirror current according to the first current and outputs the mirror current as an analog signal, the digital/analog conversion circuit converting the digital signal into the analog signal, and further including: a second current mirror circuit, which generates a first mirror current according to the first current; and a third current mirror circuit, which is connected to a reference voltage, and to which the first mirror current is input, and which generates a second mirror current equal to the first current, according to the first mirror current, between the digital/analog conversion portion and the second current mirror circuit.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes an N-type semiconductor substrate, an N-type impurity region provided in the surficial portion of the N-type semiconductor substrate, a photo-electric conversion unit formed in the N-type impurity region, a charge accumulation unit formed in the N-type impurity region so as to contact with the photo-electric conversion unit, and temporarily accumulating charge generated in the photo-electric conversion unit, a charge hold region (barrier unit) formed in the N-type impurity region so as to contact with the charge accumulation unit, and allowing the charge accumulation unit to accumulate the charge, and a charge accumulating electrode provided to the charge accumulation unit. The charge accumulation unit and the charge hold region are formed to be N?-type.

Abstract: A hole is formed in an insulating layer. A semiconductor substrate is heated at a temperature of equal to or more than 330° C. and equal to or less than 400° C. Tungsten-containing gas and at least one of B2H6 gas and SiH4 gas are introduced into a reaction chamber to thereby form a first tungsten layer. Subsequently, at least one of H2 gas and inert gas is introduced into the reaction chamber, the temperature of the semiconductor substrate is raised to equal to or more than 370° C. and equal to or less than 410° C. with 30 or more seconds, and tungsten-containing gas is introduced into the reaction chamber to thereby form a second tungsten layer on the first tungsten layer.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including a non-volatile memory with high yield, and a semiconductor device manufactured by the method. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes a process of forming a second side wall such that the width of the second side wall, which is formed on the side of a portion of a second gate electrode that does not face dummy gates on a drain forming region side, in a gate length direction is larger than that of the second side wall, which is formed on the side of the second gate electrode on a source forming region side, in the gate length direction, in a non-volatile memory forming region.

Abstract: A fault location estimation system includes single-fault-assumed diagnostic unit nodes; error-observation node basis candidate classification unit; inclusion fault candidate group selection unit; inter-pattern overlapping unit; and multiple-fault simulation checking unit.

Abstract: An adaptor according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a power supply line to be connected to an external power supply; a first connector including a plurality of terminals; and a second connector including a first terminal connected to at least one of the plurality of terminals of the first connector and a second terminal connected to the power supply line. The adaptor realizes the connection between an external device and a wireless USB module.

Abstract: Disclosed a power amplifier including a main amplifier with class bias AB and a peak amplifier with class C bias. A quarter-wave length transmission line having a length equal to one-fourth of the wave-length of a fundamental frequency is connected to an output side of the peak amplifier. Outputs of the main amplifier and the peak amplifier are combined. An envelope amplifier that modulates the drain bias voltage in accordance with an envelope of the modulation wave input signal and an envelope detector are provided as a drain-bias circuit for the main amplifier (FIG. 1).

Abstract: Disclosed is a signal output circuit comprising: a first transistor of an emitter follower configuration, which receives an input signal; a second transistor of an emitter follower configuration, which receives the input signal, and has an output connected to an external load (106); a comparator circuit which has an input pair connected via resistors to emitters of the first and the second transistors; a first current mirror circuit which has an input connected to an output of a first current source transistor and an output connected to an emitter of the first transistor; and a second current mirror circuit which has an input connected to a connection node of an output of a second current source transistor and an output of the comparator circuit, and has an output connected to an emitter of the second transistor.

Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a column of first logic circuit cells arranged along a first side of a chip and a column of second logic circuit cells arranged along a second side orthogonal to the first side. At a corner part where the first side crosses the second side, a first test logic circuit cell is arranged to have its long side faced with a side of a cell at an end portion of the column of the first logic circuit cells and a second logic circuit cell is arranged to have its long side faced with a side of a cell at an end portion of the column of the second logic circuit cells. The first and the second test logic circuit cells are arranged so a that planar shapes thereof are symmetrical (mirror symmetrical) to each other with respect to a virtual line intermediate between the oblique sides arranged opposite to each other.

Abstract: A level shift circuit insusceptible to mistaken operations at the time of disengagement of a standby state is disclosed. The level shift circuit includes a level converter circuit 5, a barrier gate circuit 2 and a holding circuit (MMP1, MMP2). The level converter circuit converts a signal level of a circuit operating in a VDD1 system to a signal level of a VDD2 system. The barrier gate circuit is responsive to a standby signal (STBY) to fix input signals (AB, AAB) of the level converter circuit 5 at a LOW level. The holding circuit holds an output of the level converter circuit 5 at a constant voltage when the input signals (AB, AAB) are at the LOW level (FIG. 1).

Abstract: A PLL circuit includes a polyphase reference clock output circuit that outputs reference clocks, a polyphase frequency divider circuit that outputs divided clocks, which is obtained by dividing frequencies of the reference clocks, a selection switch circuit that selects one of the reference clocks or one of the divided clocks, and outputs the selected clock as a selected clock, a digital VCO that uses the selected clock as an operating clock, and outputs delay amount data indicating a phase difference between an output clock and an ideal phase, where the output clock has a frequency that fluctuates according to a value of frequency control input data, and the ideal phase is calculated according to the output clock and the value of the frequency control input data, and a selection circuit that selects and outputs the output clock synchronized with the divided clocks according to the delay amount data.

Abstract: A variable inductor includes: a first inductor having two ends connected to a first terminal and a second terminal; a second inductor having two ends connected to the first terminal and the second terminal; a first node provided on the first inductor; a second node provided on the second inductor; and a switch element that switches between a conductive state and a non-conductive state between the first node and the second node.

Abstract: A counter circuit adding a first value indicated by a plurality of bits and a second value in response to a clock signal, a first part of the plurality of bits being lower order than a second part of the plurality of bits, the counter circuit including a first counter configured to add the first part of the plurality of bits and the second value in response to the clock signal to output a third value regarding a result of adding the first and the second values, a second counter configured to add the second part of the plurality of bits and a fourth value in response to the clock signal, and a clock transmission control circuit coupled to the first and second counters to receive the clock signal and the third value, and to control whether or not to supply the clock signal to the second counter in accordance with the received third value.

Abstract: A field-effect transistor according to the present invention includes a silicon substrate that has a resistivity of not more than 0.02 ?•cm, a channel layer that is formed on the silicon substrate and has a thickness of at least 5 ?m, a barrier layer that is formed on the channel layer and supplies the channel layer with electrons, a two dimensional electron gas layer that is formed by a hetero junction between the channel layer and the barrier layer, a source electrode and a drain electrode that each form an ohmic contact with the barrier layer, and a gate electrode that is formed between the source electrode and the drain electrode, and forms a Schottky barrier junction with the barrier layer.

Abstract: A power supply voltage control circuit controls power supply voltage supplied to a target circuit that performs certain signal processing. The power supply voltage control circuit includes a control signal generation circuit that selectively generates first and second control signals when the power supply voltage supplied to the target circuit is increased from a first power supply voltage to a second power supply voltage, the second power supply voltage being higher than the first power supply voltage, and a power supply circuit that increases the power supply voltage toward a voltage level of the second power supply voltage based on the first control signal, or increases the power supply voltage to a voltage level higher than the second power supply voltage first and subsequently decreases the power supply voltage to the second power supply voltage based on the second control signal.

Abstract: There is provided a pattern division method to form crowded patterns accurately on a substrate includes acquiring a mask pattern, dividing a predetermine area into a plurality of areas to prepare a division pattern in which the plurality of the areas are classified into first and second groups, generating a reduced mask pattern by reducing each of two or more patterns laid out in the object mask pattern substantially toward the center of the particular pattern, overlapping the division pattern with the reduced mask pattern and extracting the reduced patterns overlapped with the area classified as the first group of the division pattern to generate a first reduced mask pattern, and restoring the reduced patterns laid out in the first reduced mask pattern to the original size before generation of the reduced mask pattern.

Abstract: An interrupt processing apparatus stores an elapsed detection time and an interrupt occurrence count for each interruption cause. The interrupt processing apparatus stores an interval of trouble determination for each interruption cause, and determines whether the elapsed detection time for each interruption cause reaches the interval of trouble determination. If the interrupt occurrence count exceeds the threshold value when the trouble determination interval is reached, the trouble state is determined.