Abstract: A semiconductor device having a high degree of freedom of layout has a first part AR1, in which a plurality of p-type wells PW and n-type wells NW are alternately arranged to be adjacent to each other along an X-axis direction. A common power feeding region (ARP2) for the plurality of wells PW is arranged on one side so as to interpose the AR1 in a Y-axis direction, and a common power feeding region (ARN2) for the plurality of wells NW is arranged on the other side. In the power feeding region (ARP2) for the PW wells, a p+-type power-feeding diffusion layer P+(DFW) having an elongate shape extending in the X-axis direction is formed. A plurality of gate layers GT extending in the X-axis direction to cross the boundary between the PW and NW wells are arranged in the AR1, and a plurality of MIS transistors are correspondingly formed.

Abstract: An increase in chip area and a deterioration of delay performance are reduced without dummy cells or dummy gates for plasma damage, suppressing an increase in the capacitance of dummy cells or dummy gates and a deterioration of wiring. In the case where bit wires or bit contacts used for the DRAM cell region of a circuit block are used as wires and contacts for a logic circuit region, gate electrodes affected by plasma damage are automatically analyzed after the completion of placement and routing. The well contact region (well potential diffusion layer) of the logic circuit region contains dummy contacts for plasma damage.

Abstract: A switching loss is reduced by reducing a deviation from the operational principle of zero-volt switching (ZVS). A semiconductor integrated circuit includes high-side switch elements Q11 and Q12, a low-side switch element Q2, and a controller CNT. A decoupling capacitance Cin is coupled between one end of a high-side element and an earth potential, and the high-side element includes the first and second transistors Q11 and Q12 coupled in parallel. In changing the high-side elements from an on-state to an off-state, CNT controls Q12 from an on-state to an off-state by delaying Q12 relative to Q11. Q11 and Q12 are divided into a plurality of parts inside a semiconductor chip Chip 1, a plurality of partial first transistors formed by dividing Q11 and a plurality of partial second transistors formed by dividing Q12 are alternately arranged in an arrangement direction of Q11 and Q12, inside the semiconductor chip Chip 1.

Abstract: Miniaturization of a multiphase type power supply device can be achieved. A power supply control unit in which, for example, a microcontroller unit, a memory unit and an analog controller unit are formed over a single chip, a plurality of PWM-equipped drive units, and a plurality of inductors configure a multiphase power supply. The microcontroller unit outputs clock signals each having a frequency and a phase defined based on a program on the memory unit to the respective PWM-equipped drive units. The analog controller unit detects a difference between a voltage value of a load and a target voltage value acquired via a serial interface and outputs an error amp signal therefrom. Each of the PWM-equipped drive units drives each inductor by a peak current control system using the clock signal and the error amp signal.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a TSV that penetrates a silicon substrate. A seal ring is provided from a first low relative permittivity film that is closest to the silicon substrate to a second low relative permittivity film that is farthest from the silicon substrate. The seal ring is formed to surround the TSV in bird's eye view on the silicon substrate from a wafer front surface. This achieves suppression of generation or progress of a crack in a low relative permittivity film in a semiconductor device including the low relative permittivity film and a TSV.

Abstract: A circuit for reducing counter-intermodulation in a modulated signal caused by an oscillator frequency and harmonics of a baseband signal is disclosed. The circuit comprises a first and a second baseband section arranged for generating a first and a second version of a baseband signal, the second version being phase shifted with respect to the first version. The circuit further comprises three signal paths comprising mixers for multiplication of the first and second version of the baseband signal with a local oscillator signal, so that three upconverted signals with rotated phase with respect to each other are obtained, and arranged for applying a scaling with a scaling factor corresponding to the rotated phases. The circuit further comprises a combination unit arranged for combining the three upconverted signals.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substantially rectangular semiconductor chip having an obverse surface, a first long side, a second long side opposite the first long side, a first short side and a second short side, and a plurality of bump electrodes. A wiring substrate has a main surface, a first side disposed outside of the semiconductor chip and extending substantially parallel with the first long side, a second side disposed outside of the semiconductor chip and extending substantially parallel with the second long side, and a plurality of wiring groups, each including a plurality of wirings. A semiconductor chip is mounted on the wiring substrate such that the obverse surface of the semiconductor chip is faced to the main surface of the wiring substrate and the first long side is located between the first side of the wiring substrate and the second long side, in a plan view.

Abstract: A microcomputer provided on a rectangular semiconductor board has memory interface circuits. The memory interface circuits are separately disposed in such positions as to extend along the peripheries of the semiconductor board on both sides from one corner as a reference position. In this case, limitations to size reduction imposed on the semiconductor board can be reduced compared with a semiconductor board having memory interface circuits only on one side. Respective partial circuits on each of the separated memory interface circuits have equal data units associated with data and data strobe signals. Thus, the microcomputer has simplified line design on a mother board and on a module board.

Abstract: A first carrier of a carrier aggregation system has a downlink control region DCR which is selectively enabled and disabled. For the case the DCR of the first carrier is disabled, a DCR of a second carrier is used to cross-schedule a user equipment for radio resources on the first carrier. In various embodiments: the DCR of the first carrier lies within an unlicensed radio frequency band; the DCR of the first carrier is disabled by signaling which reduces to zero a number of symbols reserved for the DCR and is enabled by signaling which increases from zero a number of symbols reserved for the DCR; the signaling is downlink and group-based to a plurality of user equipments. The group-based signaling may be a broadcast system information block or a group RNTI, either of which give frequency information of the DCR and an enabled/disabled status indication.

Abstract: A search system is obtained by combining a TCAM and a search engine not using the TCAM. The search engine not using the TCAM is constructed using a general-purpose memory cell structure, and includes a different-sized memory spaces each corresponding to an effective bit length of search target data.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a field effect transistor device includes patterning a fin on substrate, patterning a gate stack over a portion of the fin and a portion of an insulator layer arranged on the substrate, forming a protective barrier over the gate stack, a portion of the fin and a portion of the insulator layer, the protective barrier enveloping the gate stack, depositing a second insulator layer over portions of the fin and the protective barrier, performing a first etching process to selectively remove portions of the second insulator layer to define cavities that expose portions of source and drain regions of the fin without appreciably removing the protective barrier, and depositing a conductive material in the cavities.

Abstract: A wireless network communication device comprises a host processor, a network interface coupled to the host processor and comprising a transceiver operable to generate and transmit a control message frame. The control message frame includes: a short training field, a long training field, and a signal field including modulation and coding scheme subfield to hold message type information, transmitter address information, receiver address information, and frame check sequence information.

Abstract: There is provided a capacitor with a reduced layout area. A capacitor has an electrode EL1 formed by using a first polysilicon layer, an electrode EL2 formed by using a second polysilicon layer over the first polysilicon layer, and electrodes EL3 to EL6 formed by using second through fifth metal wiring layers over the second polysilicon layer. An N-type well and the electrode EL1 make up a capacitor element 11, the electrodes EL1, EL2 make up a capacitor element 12, and the electrodes EL3 to EL6 make up a capacitor element 13. The capacitor elements 11 to 13 are coupled in parallel between terminals T1, T2.

Abstract: A management method is able to quickly investigate the cause of a defect generated in a semiconductor product manufacturing process. Manufacturing conditions in various QFP manufacturing steps are stored in a main server while correlating them with an identification number of the QFP, and a two-dimensional bar code corresponding to the identification number is stamped to the surface of the QFP. In the event of occurrence of a defect of the QFP, the manufacturing conditions for the QFP stored in the main server can be traced in an instant by reading the two-dimensional bar code of the QFP and thereby specifying the identification number.

Abstract: Provided is a semiconductor device with improved performance and production yield. Insulating films IL2 and IL3 are formed over a semiconductor substrate in that order to cover a gate electrode. Then, the insulating films IL3 and IL2 are etched back to form sidewall spacers including the insulating films IL2 and IL3 over sidewalls of the gate electrode. The source/drain region is formed in the semiconductor substrate by ion implantation using the gate electrode and the sidewall spacer as a mask. Then, the sidewall spacers are isotropically etched on conditions where the insulating film IL2 is less likely to be etched than the third insulating film IL3 to thereby decrease the thickness of the sidewall spacer. Thereafter, a reaction layer between the metal and the source/drain region is formed over the source/drain region.

Abstract: A semiconductor device has an FET of a trench-gate structure obtained by disposing a conductive layer, which will be a gate, in a trench extended in the main surface of a semiconductor substrate, wherein the upper surface of the trench-gate conductive layer is formed equal to or higher than the main surface of the semiconductor substrate. The conductive layer of the trench gate is formed to have a substantially flat or concave upper surface and the upper surface is formed equal to or higher than the main surface of the semiconductor substrate. After etching of the semiconductor substrate to form the upper surface of the conductive layer of the trench gate, a channel region and a source region are formed by ion implantation so that the semiconductor device is free from occurrence of a source offset.

Abstract: A data input buffer is changed from an inactive to an active state after the reception of instruction for a write operation effected on a memory unit. The input buffer is a differential input buffer having interface specs based on SSTL, for example, which is brought to an active state by turning on a power switch to cause a through current to flow and receives a signal therein while immediately following a small change in small-amplitude signal. Since the input buffer is brought to the active state only when the write operation's instruction for the memory unit is provided, it is rendered inactive in advance before the instruction is provided, whereby wasteful power consumption is reduced. In another aspect, power consumption is reduced by changing from the active to the inactive state in a time period from a write command issuing to a next command issuing.

Abstract: A device isolation region is made of a silicon oxide film embedded in a trench, an upper portion thereof is protruded from a semiconductor substrate, and a sidewall insulating film made of silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride is formed on a sidewall of a portion of the device isolation region which is protruded from the semiconductor substrate. A gate insulating film of a MISFET is made of an Hf-containing insulating film containing hafnium, oxygen and an element for threshold reduction as main components, and a gate electrode that is a metal gate electrode extends on an active region, the sidewall insulating film and the device isolation region. The element for threshold reduction is a rare earth or Mg when the MISFET is an n-channel MISFET, and the element for threshold reduction is Al, Ti or Ta when the MISFET is a p-channel MISFET.

Abstract: Measures for a common search space configuration of a standalone carrier may exemplarily include measures for configuring a common search space for an enhanced physical downlink control channel of a carrier, and measures for scheduling a master information block of common control signaling on a physical broadcast channel of the carrier, wherein said master information block indicates a configuration of the common search space which defines a set of pairs of physical resource blocks in the common search space.

Abstract: Each stitch part of a plurality of leads of a package has a first region having the most outer surface on which Ag plating is applied and a second region having the most outer surface on which Ni plating is applied. Further, the second region is arranged on a die pad side, and the first region is arranged on a periphery side of a sealer. Therefore, in each stitch part, types of plating applied on the most outer surfaces of the first region and the second region can be differentiated from each other, a thick Al wire can be connected to the second region of the second lead, and a thin Au wire can be connected to the first region of the first lead. As a result, usage of only Au plating can be avoided, so that the cost of the package is reduced.