Abstract: An error detector has a parity bit generator which generates error detection data for data strings sent from a CPU I/F to a memory, a parity checker which detects an error in the data strings output from the memory based on the error detection data, and a selector circuit which switchingly outputs the data from the parity bit generator and the data from a CPU which sends diagnostic data. While the selector circuit is switched to output the data from the CPU, based on the error detection data output from the selector circuit, the error detector conducts a failure diagnosis of error detection functions including at least one of the parity bit generator and the parity checker.

Abstract: Each of a plurality of memory blocks arranged for 1 bit data is divided into two subarrays. A separate local data line is provided for each subarray and coupled to a sense amplifier via an isolation gate. A memory cell is selected in a selected subarray of a selected memory block, and a bit line of the selected memory cell is coupled to a corresponding local data line. Only a local data line of the selected subarray is coupled to the sense amplifier to perform a sense operation, and a global read data line is driven via a read driver in accordance with an output signal of the sense amplifier. A load of a sense node of the sense amplifier in a semiconductor memory device is reduced to implement high-speed reading of internal data.

Abstract: Illumination devices (7a) and (7b) which irradiate light having a wavelength of 1.1 ?m or less are arranged on a front surface and a rear surface of a cover (8) of a dicing device (1). After a wafer is placed on a dicing stage (3), when the wafer is diced by a blade (4a) attached to a spindle (5), light is irradiated on an entire surface of an upper surface (element forming surface) of the wafer by the illumination devices (7a) and (7b). At this time, an illuminance of light on the wafer is set at 70 lux or more and 2000 lux or less. By this means, during a dicing operation, an area to be a light-shielded area by the spindle (5) or the like is not present on the wafer.

Abstract: A partial isolation insulating film provided between MOS transistors in an NMOS region and a PMOS region, respectively, has a structure in which a portion protruding upward from a main surface of an SOI layer is of greater thickness than a trench depth, namely, a portion (isolation portion) extending below the surface of the SOI layer, and the SOI layer under the partial isolation insulating film is of greater thickness than the isolation portion.

Abstract: When fetching an instruction from a plurality of memory banks, a first pipeline cycle corresponding to selection of a memory bank and a second pipeline cycle corresponding to instruction readout are generated to carry out a pipeline process. Only the selected memory bank can be precharged to allow reduction of power consumption. Since the first and second pipeline cycles are effected in parallel, the throughput of the instruction memory can be improved.

Abstract: An asynchronous data transmitting apparatus includes data signal transmission lines; two control transmission lines having a minimum delay and maximum delay respectively; a transmitter; and a receiver. The transmitter includes a data transmitting unit that transmits a data signal through the data signal transmission lines, depending on a transmit clock; and control transmitting units that transmit control signals through the control transmission lines, depending on the transmit clock. The receiver includes a receive clock generator that generates a read clock from the control signals; and a data receiving unit that receives the data signal through the data signal transmission line, depending on the read clock.

Abstract: A partial isolation insulating film provided between MOS transistors in an NMOS region and a PMOS region, respectively, has a structure in which a portion protruding upward from a main surface of an SOI layer is of greater thickness than a trench depth, namely, a portion (isolation portion) extending below the surface of the SOI layer, and the SOI layer under the partial isolation insulating film is of greater thickness than the isolation portion.

Abstract: A logic gate is constructed of an insulated gate field effect transistor (MIS transistor) having a thin gate insulation film. An operation power supply line to the logic gate is provided with an MIS transistor having a thick gate insulation film for switching the supply and stop of an operation power source voltage. A voltage of the gate of the power source switching transistor is made changing in an amplitude greater than an amplitude of an input and an output signal to the logic gate. Current consumption in a semiconductor device configured of MIS transistor of a thin gate insulation film can be reduced and an power source voltage thereof can be stabilized.

Abstract: The invention provides a technique capable of allowing a CPU to execute interruption processing early. One of plural bus masters is a CPU. Each of the bus masters accesses a bus slave via a common bus. A bus access arbitration circuit arbitrates bus access requests among the bus masters. An interruption controller accepts an interruption request, and then notifies the CPU to execute interruption processing and outputs, to the bus access arbitration circuit, a preferential processing request signal for requesting preferential acceptance of the bus access request from the CPU. The bus access arbitration circuit receives the preferential processing request signal, and then accepts the bus access request from the CPU preferentially rather than the bus access requests from the bus masters other than the CPU.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a silicon substrate having an active region, a memory transistor having a pair of source/drain regions and a gate electrode layer, a hard mask layer on the gate electrode layer having a plane pattern shape identical with that of the gate electrode layer, and plug conductive layers each electrically connected to each of the pair of source/drain regions. An extending direction of the active region is not perpendicular to that of the gate electrode layer, but is oblique. Upper surfaces of the hard mask layer and each of the plug conductive layers form substantially an identical plane. This can attain a semiconductor device allowing significant enlargement of a margin in a photolithographic process, suppression of an “aperture defect” as well as ensuring of a process tolerance of a “short” by decreasing a microloading effect, and decrease in a contact resistance, and a manufacturing method thereof.

Abstract: A semiconductor device of the invention has a plurality of resistor elements formed on an element isolating oxide film in predetermined regions on a surface of a semiconductor substrate. Active regions are furnished close to the resistor elements. This allows the element isolating oxide film near the resistor elements to be divided into suitable strips, forestalling a concave formation at the center of the element isolating oxide film upon polishing of the film by CMP and thereby enhancing dimensional accuracy of the resistor elements upon fabrication.

Abstract: In the data read operation, a memory cell and a dummy memory cell are respectively coupled to two bit lines of a selected bit line pair, to which a data read current is supplied. In the selected memory cell column, a read gate drives the respective voltages on a read data bus pair, according to the respective voltages on the bit lines. A data read circuit amplifies the voltage difference between the read data buses so as to output read data. The use of the read gate enables the read data buses to be disconnected from a data read current path. As a result, respective voltage changes on the bit lines are rapidly produced, and therefore, the data read speed can be increased.

Abstract: In regard to a set associative cache memory (21) having ways coincident in number with entries of TLB, the ways each have a storage capacity in its data part (DAT); the storage capacity corresponds to a page size, which is a unit of address translation by TLB. Each way has no tag memory as an address part nor tag. The entries (ETY0-ETY7) of TLB are in a one-to-one correspondence with ways (WAY0-WAY7) of the cache memory. Only the data in a region subjected to mapping to a physical address defined by an address translation pair of TLB can be cached in the corresponding way. According to a TLB hit signal produced with a logical product of the result of the comparison of a virtual page address of TLB and an effective bit of TLB, an action for a cache data array is selected for only one way. The cache effective bit of the way with the action selected is used as a cache hit signal.

Abstract: A substrate supporting film to be etched is held on a rotating stage. Ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 200 nm or shorter radiated from first lamps irradiates the film in air, thereby removing an organic coatings from the film and making the surface of the film hydrophilic. A chemical solution is applied to the hydrophilic film while rotating the substrate. Ultraviolet light having a wavelength longer than 200 nm is radiated from second lamps and onto the film through the chemical solution.

Abstract: A gateway apparatus for performing transfer control of frame data between a plurality of different communication channels is provided with a time stamp unit for adding time stamp information to received frame data and a data discarding unit for determining processing delay of the frame data or abnormality of the apparatus by referring to the time stamp information and for deleting the time stamp information added to the frame data at the time of sending the frame data.

Abstract: A gateway apparatus for performing transfer control of frame data between communication channels includes a routing map that stores ID information about the frame data and information about a communication channel that uses the ID information, and a search engine unit that routes the frame data to a transfer destination on the basis of the ID information of the frame data received and the routing map. The search engine unit does not transfer the frame data to the transfer destination when the ID information about the frame data received is ID information that is not used in the communication channel through which the frame data is received.

Abstract: A character recognition device recognizing characters with low power consumption includes a data input unit for entering handwriting data representing a character to be recognized, a character recognition dictionary storing character recognition information required for character recognition as well as operating frequency information concerning the operating frequency of the character recognition device that is set in connection with the recognition processing, a character recognition processing unit recognizing the character based on the handwriting data and the character recognition information, a recognition result output unit which outputs the character recognized by the character recognition processing unit, and a power management unit changing the operating frequency of the character recognition processing unit based on the operating frequency information stored in the character recognition dictionary.

Abstract: In a multiport SRAM memory cell of the present invention, an access transistor of a first port is disposed in a p-type well, and an access transistor of a second port is disposed in a p-type well. The gates of all of transistors disposed in a memory cell extend in the same direction. With the configuration, a semiconductor memory device having a low-power consumption type SRAM memory cell with an increased margin of variations in manufacturing, by which a bit line can be shortened in a multiport SRAM memory cell or an associative memory, can be obtained.

Abstract: A transistor is arranged for electrically isolating a sense amplifier formed of a thin film transistor from a data line electrically coupled to the sense amplifier. When a write driver drives the data line, a control signal is applied to isolate the data line from the sense amplifier.

Abstract: An electrode on a semiconductor substrate includes a polysilicon layer, a silicon-implanted layer on the polysilicon layer, a tungsten nitride layer on the silicon-implanted layer, a tungsten nitride layer on the silicon-implanted layer, and a tungsten layer on the tungsten nitride layer. The layer between the polysilicon layer and the tungsten nitride layer may be either a tungsten silicon nitride layer or a silicon-germanium layer.