Abstract: A manufacturing method for semiconductor devices includes the steps of forming an Ni/Au film that includes an Ni film and an Au film formed over the Ni film over a wiring that is coupled to each of a plurality of electrode pads formed over a principal surface of a semiconductor wafer and arranges each of the electrode pads at a different position, grinding a back surface of the semiconductor wafer, performing reduction treatment on a surface of the Ni/Au film, and forming a solder bump over the Ni/Au film. In the reduction treatment, respective processes of flux application, reflow soldering and cleaning are performed and the solder bump is bonded to the Ni/Au film after the reduction treatment has been completed. Thereby, bonding reliability in flip chip bonding of a semiconductor device is improved.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having Cu wiring including a basic crystal structure which can reduce surface voids, and an inspecting technique for the semiconductor device. In the semiconductor device, surface voids can be reduced down to 1/10 or less of a current practical level by specifying a barrier layer and a seed layer and setting a proportion (frequency) of occupation of a coincidence site lattice (CSL) boundary having a grain boundary Sigma value 27 or less to all crystal grain boundaries of a Cu wiring to 60% or higher. Alternatively, a similar effect of surface void reduction can be obtained by specifying a barrier layer and a seed layer and setting a proportion (frequency) of occupation of a coincidence site lattice (CSL) boundary having a grain boundary Sigma value 3 to all crystal grain boundaries of a Cu wiring to 40% or higher.

Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor device using low electric power and a small area which can realize highly accurate calibration. The semiconductor device according to the embodiment includes an A/D conversion unit, and a hold signal generating circuit which is coupled to an input side of the A/D conversion unit, and has a hold period not less than two cycles of the A/D conversion unit. The hold signal generating circuit includes: an SC integrator including an input buffer coupled to the input side of the A/D conversion unit, and feedback capacitor coupled to an input and an output of the input buffer; and a logic circuit which compares an output signal of plural bits outputted from the A/D conversion unit with a first and a second threshold values, and outputs a control signal which controls polarity of the SC integrator according to a comparison result.

Abstract: A semiconductor device with improved temperature detection accuracy includes a coefficient calculation circuitry which calculates a plurality of N-th order coefficients, where N is an integer equal to or greater than one, of a correction function as an N-th order approximation of a characteristic function which relates temperature data measured by the temperature sensor and the actual temperature. The coefficient calculation circuitry uses N+1 pieces of the temperature data including a theoretical value at absolute zero in the characteristic function and N measured values of the temperature data measured by the temperature sensor unit at N points of temperature. A corrected temperatures are output using the correction function with the calculated coefficients and measured temperature values.

Abstract: This invention can reduce heat that is generated in a first semiconductor chip and transfers to a second semiconductor chip through through-silicon vias. The first semiconductor chip has the first through-silicon vias. Each of the first through-silicon vias is arranged on any of grid points arranged in m rows and n columns (m>n). The first semiconductor chip also has a first circuit formation area. A first circuit is formed in the first circuit formation area. The first circuit performs signal processing while communicating with the second semiconductor chip. In plan view, the first circuit formation area does not overlap with a through-silicon via area that is defined by coupling the outermost grid points arranged in m rows and n columns. In plan view, some of connection terminals are located between the first circuit formation area and the through-silicon via area.

Abstract: A semiconductor device including: a filter circuit to subdivide and output the received signal as a first signal with a relatively low frequency and a second signal with a relatively high frequency; a first channel containing a photocoupler to convey the first signal output from the filter circuit; a second channel containing an isolator to convey the second signal from the filter circuit; and a signal synthesis circuit to sum and output the first signal conveyed by way of a first channel and a second signal conveyed by way of a second channel.

Abstract: A semiconductor device and method making it comprises pFETs with an SiGe channel and nFETs with an Si channel, formed on an SOI substrate. Improved uniformity of fin height and width is attained by forming the fins additively by depositing an SiGe layer on the SOI substrate and forming first fins from the superposed SiGe layer and underlying thin Si film of the SOI substrate. Second fins of Si can then be formed by replacing the upper SiGe portions of selected first fins with Si.

Abstract: Provided is a cryptographic communication system including a first semiconductor device and a second semiconductor device. The first semiconductor device includes a common key generation unit that generates a common key CK(a) by using a unique code UC(a) and correction data CD(a), and an encryption unit that encrypts the common key CK(a) generated in the common key generation unit by using a public key PK(b) of the second semiconductor device. The second semiconductor device includes a secret key generation unit that generates a secret key SK(b) by using a unique code UC(b) and correction data CD(b), and a decryption unit that decrypts the common key CK(a) encrypted in the encryption unit by using the secret key SK(b).

Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter circuit having a simple design and capable of preventing an increase in surface area and other problems. An analog-to-digital converter circuit for converting an analog input signal to a digital quantity includes an analog-to-digital converter unit that converts analog input signals to pre-correction digital values, and a corrector unit that digitally corrects the pre-connection digital values output from the analog-to-digital converter unit. The corrector unit includes a weighting coefficient multiplier unit that outputs a post-correction digital value obtained by multiplying the weighting coefficients provided for each bit by each bit of the pre-correction digital value output from the A/D converter unit and summing them, and a weighting coefficient search unit that searches for weighting coefficients so as to minimize an error signal generated based on the post-correction digital value and an approximate value for the post-correction digital value.

Abstract: Disclosed are a semiconductor integrated circuit including first and second supply terminals; an input voltage selection circuit including a power-on reset circuit, an input voltage detection circuit, a control circuit and a power-on reset auxiliary circuit; and first and second power supply switches, and its operating method. When the above detection circuit detects the supply of both first and second power supply voltages to both supply terminals upon completion of a power on reset operation of the reset circuit, the control circuit controls either of both power supply switches, having a high priority of preset priorities, to an on state. After its control, the auxiliary circuit detects a power failure in the power supply voltage supplied to the high-priority power supply switch. The reset circuit performs another power on reset operation. The control circuit controls the power supply switch having a low priority of the priorities to an on state.

Abstract: An interlayer insulating film is formed. Then a first gate electrode and a second gate electrode are buried in the interlayer insulating film. Then, an anti-diffusion film is formed over the interlayer insulating film, over the first gate electrode, and over the second gate electrode. Then, a first semiconductor layer is formed over the anti-diffusion film which is present over the first gate electrode. Then, an insulating cover film is formed over the upper surface and on the lateral side of the first semiconductor layer and over the anti-diffusion film. Then, a semiconductor film is formed over the insulating cover film. Then, the semiconductor film is removed selectively to leave a portion positioned over the second gate electrode, thereby forming a second semiconductor layer.

Abstract: In a semiconductor device, memory modules each having a low power consumption mode that is enabled and disabled by a control signal belong to a memory block. A transmission path of the control signal is provided such that the control signal is inputted in parallel to the memory module via an inside-of-module path, and such that the control signal is outputted by a particular memory module of the memory modules via the inside-of-module path to a downstream outside-of-module path. The particular memory module in the memory block is selected such that it has a greater storage capacity than the other memory modules belonging to this same memory block have.

Abstract: A data processing device has an instruction decoder, a control logic unit, and ALU. The instruction decoder decodes instruction codes of an arithmetic instruction. The control logic unit detects the effective data width of operation data to be processed according to the decode result from the instruction decoder and determines the number of cycles for the instruction execution corresponding to the effective, data width. The ALU executes the instruction with the number of cycles of the instruction execution determined by the control logic unit.

Abstract: To provide a semiconductor device capable of suppressing a reduction in breakdown voltage by suppressing a change in dimensions of a double RESURF structure, and a method of manufacturing the same. In the semiconductor device, an upper RESURF region is formed so as to contact with a first buried region on a side of the one main surface within a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate has a field oxide formed so as to reach the upper RESURF region on the one main surface. The semiconductor substrate includes a second conductivity type body region formed so as to contact with the upper RESURF region on a side of the one main surface and so as to neighbor the field oxide within the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A floating gate insulating film is formed in a first element formation region of a substrate. A first insulating film and a control gate electrode are continuously formed from the first element formation region to a first element isolation film. A selection gate insulating film and a selection gate electrode are formed in the substrate located in the first element formation region. The selection gate electrode is continuously formed over the first element isolation film. A side surface of the selection gate electrode is in contact with a first side surface of a floating gate electrode through a second insulating film. An upper surface of a region overlapping with the selection gate electrode in the first element isolation film is located lower than an upper surface of the substrate.

Abstract: To control a grain growth on laminated polysilicon films, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes: forming a first polysilicon film (21) on a substrate (10); forming an interlayer oxide layer (22) on a surface of the first polysilicon film (21); forming a second polysilicon film (23) in contact with the interlayer oxide layer (22) above the first polysilicon film (21); and performing annealing at a temperature higher than a film formation temperature of the first and second polysilicon films in a gas atmosphere containing nitrogen, after formation of the second polysilicon film (23).

Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a first wireless access system reception unit including a first analog reception unit and a first digital reception unit, a voltage-controlled oscillator, a phase locked loop, and a digital interface. The first analog reception unit comprises a first reception mixer for down-converting an RF reception signal into a first analog reception signal and a first analog-digital converter for converting the first analog reception signal into a first digital reception signal. The first wireless access system reception unit, the voltage-controlled oscillator, and the phase locked loop enable switching from a reception operation for a first RF reception signal of a first system to a reception operation for a second RF reception signal of a second system.

Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided in which reliability of the semiconductor device is improved by improving an EM characteristic, a TDDB characteristic, and a withstand voltage characteristic of the semiconductor device. An average diameter of first vacancies in a lower insulating layer which configures an interlayer insulating film of a porous low-k film for embedding a wiring therein, is made smaller than an average diameter of second vacancies in an upper insulating layer, and thereby an elastic modulus is increased in the lower insulating layer. Further, a side wall insulating layer which is a dense layer including the first vacancies having an average diameter smaller than the second vacancies is formed on the surface of the interlayer insulating film exposed on a side wall of a wiring trench.

Abstract: Disclosed is a miniaturized semiconductor device having an SOI layer, in which: a silicon layer is formed over a semiconductor substrate via an BOX film; after the silicon layer is patterned by using a nitride film as a mask, an insulating film covering the surface of each of the nitride film, the silicon layer, and the BOX film is formed; subsequently, an opening, which penetrates the insulating film and the BOX film and which exposes the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate, is formed, and an epitaxial layer is formed in the opening; subsequently, the SOI region and a bulk silicon layer are formed over the semiconductor substrate by flattening the upper surface of the epitaxial layer with the use of the nitride film as an etching stopper film.

Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor device having LDMOS transistors embedded in a semiconductor substrate to boost source-drain breakdown voltage, with arrangements to prevent fluctuations of element characteristics caused by electric field concentration so that the reliability of the semiconductor device is improved. A trench is formed over the upper surface of a separation insulating film of each LDMOS transistor, the trench having a gate electrode partially embedded therein. This structure prevents electric field concentration in the semiconductor substrate near the source-side edge of the separation insulating film.