Abstract: A storage battery system in which multiple storage battery modules are connected in series and such that deteriorated storage battery modules may be made replaceable without causing dielectric breakdown. The storage battery system is one that has multiple storage battery modules connected in series and has a mechanism of, when the storage battery module is detached, disconnecting power source line connected to the storage battery modules after disconnecting communication line connected to the storage battery modules.

Abstract: The need for mediation operation is eliminated by adoption of a connection topology in which a circuit for executing one transmission (TR—00T), and a circuit for executing a plurality of receptions (TR—10R, TR—20R, TR—30R) are connected to one penetration-electrode group (for example, TSVGL—0). In order to implement the connection topology even in the case of piling up a plurality of LSIs one after another, in particular, a programmable memory element for designating respective penetration-electrode ports for use in transmit, or for us in receive, and address allocation of the respective penetration-electrode ports is mounted in stacked LSIs.

Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device capable of achieving improvement of I/O processing performance, reduction of power consumption, and reduction of cost is provided. Provided is a semiconductor integrated circuit device including, for example, a plurality of semiconductor chips stacked and mounted, the chips having data transceiving terminals bus-connected via through-vias, and data transmission and reception are performed via the bus with using the lowest source voltage among source voltages of internal core circuits of the chips. In accordance with that, a source voltage terminal of an n-th chip to be at the lowest source voltage is connected with source voltage terminals for data transceiving circuits of the other semiconductor chips via through-vias.

Abstract: In a test method of stacked LSIs connected by Through Silicon Vias, it is difficult to perform a failure diagnosis by using a conventional device test method to only one side of a silicon wafer, there is a possibility of yield degradation at a stacking time of LSIs, and a plurality of LSIs is connected to one Through Silicon Via so that it is necessary to select and remedy a defective Through Silicon Via taking into account all the device states. These problems cannot be solved by conventional test methods.

Abstract: When threshold voltages of constituent transistors are reduced in order to operate an SRAM circuit at a low voltage, there is a problem in that a leakage current of the transistors is increased and, as a result, electric power consumption when the SRAM circuit is not operated while storing data is increased. Therefore, there is provided a technique for reducing the leakage current of MOS transistors in SRAM memory cells MC by controlling a potential of a source line ssl of the driver MOS transistors in the memory cells.

Abstract: The gate tunnel leakage current is increased in the up-to-date process, so that it is necessary to reduce the gate tunnel leakage current in the LSI which is driven by a battery for use in a cellular phone and which needs to be in a standby mode at a low leakage current. In a semiconductor integrated circuit device, the ground source electrode lines of logic and memory circuits are kept at a ground potential in an active mode, and are kept at a voltage higher than the ground potential in an unselected standby mode. The gate tunnel leakage current can be reduced without destroying data.

Abstract: In a stacked chip system, an IO circuit connected to a TSV pad for IO and a switch circuit constitute an IO channel in each chip, the IO channels as many as the maximum scheduled number of stacks are coupled together and connected to constitute an IO group, and the chip has one or more such IO groups. Each TSV pad for IO is connected with a through via to an IO terminal at the same position in a chip of another layer. On an interposer, if the actual number of stacks is less than the maximum scheduled number of stacks, connection pads for IO in adjacent IO groups on the interposer are connected via a conductor.

Abstract: High manufacturing yield is realized and variation in threshold voltage of each MOS transistor in a CMOS·SRAM is compensated. Body bias voltages are applied to wells for MOS transistors of each SRAM memory cell in any active mode of an information holding operation, a write operation and a read operation of an SRAM. Threshold voltages of PMOS and NMOS transistors of the SRAM are first measured. Control information is programmed into control memories according to results of determination. Levels of the body bias voltages are adjusted based on the programs so that variations in the threshold voltages of the MOS transistors of the CMOS·SRAM are controlled to a predetermined error span. Body bias voltage corresponding to a reverse body bias or an extremely shallow forward body bias is applied to a substrate for the MOS transistors with an operating voltage applied to the source of each MOS transistor.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to sufficiently supply power to three-dimensionally stacked LSI chips and to dispose common through vias in chips of different types. Also, another object is to propose a new test method for power-supply through silicon vias.

Abstract: The need for mediation operation is eliminated by adoption of a connection topology in which a circuit for executing one transmission (TR—00T), and a circuit for executing a plurality of receptions (TR—10R, TR—20R, TR—30R) are connected to one penetration-electrode group (for example, TSVGL—0). In order to implement the connection topology even in the case of piling up a plurality of LSIs one after another, in particular, a programmable memory element for designating respective penetration-electrode ports for use in transmit, or for us in receive, and address allocation of the respective penetration-electrode ports is mounted in stacked LSIs.

Abstract: The semiconductor device makes a comparison between a word-line timing signal for determining a word-line activation time and a reference signal, applies a back-gate bias for enlarging a read margin when the result of the comparison represents a low condition of the read margin, and applies a back-gate bias for enlarging a write margin when the comparison result represents a low condition of the write margin. The reference signal is selected depending on whether to compensate an operating margin fluctuating according to the word-line activation time (or word-line pulse width), or to compensate an operating margin fluctuating according to the process fluctuation (or variation in threshold voltage). By controlling the back-gate biases according to the word-line pulse width, an operating margin fluctuating according to the word-line pulse width, and an operating margin fluctuating owing to the variation in threshold voltage during its fabrication are improved.

Abstract: The gate tunnel leakage current is increased in the up-to-date process, so that it is necessary to reduce the gate tunnel leakage current in the LSI which is driven by a battery for use in a cellular phone and which needs to be in a standby mode at a low leakage current. In a semiconductor integrated circuit device, the ground source electrode lines of logic and memory circuits are kept at a ground potential in an active mode, and are kept at a voltage higher than the ground potential in an unselected standby mode. The gate tunnel leakage current can be reduced without destroying data.

Abstract: In a through-via-hole path of semiconductor chips stacked in N stages, repeater circuits are provided in the respective semiconductor chips. For example, a signal transmitted from an output buffer circuit of the semiconductor chip is transmitted to an input buffer circuit of the semiconductor chip via the repeater circuits of the respective semiconductor chips. The respective repeater circuits can isolate impedances on input sides and output sides, and therefore, a deterioration of a waveform quality accompanied by a parasitic capacitance parasitic on the through-via-hole path of the respective semiconductor chips can be reduced and a high speed signal can be transmitted.

Abstract: In a vehicle electronic system including a plurality of LSI boards, LSIS which cannot control a user interface such as image or audio directly issue a command for notifying a vehicle occupant of its own information via networks and an information control LSI receives the request to output a message. A mechanism for setting priority of processings regarding LSI status information notification to be lower than that of an apparatus control processing is provided in each of LSIs and networks so that real-time property of the apparatus control processing is maintained. In order to reduce network load regarding the LSI status information notification, a message content itself is stored in a memory in a vehicle information processing unit previously so that only an ID for identifying the message content is transmitted.

Abstract: The semiconductor device makes a comparison between a word-line timing signal for determining a word-line activation time and a reference signal, applies a back-gate bias for enlarging a read margin when the result of the comparison represents a low condition of the read margin, and applies a back-gate bias for enlarging a write margin when the comparison result represents a low condition of the write margin. The reference signal is selected depending on whether to compensate an operating margin fluctuating according to the word-line activation time (or word-line pulse width), or to compensate an operating margin fluctuating according to the process fluctuation (or variation in threshold voltage). By controlling the back-gate biases according to the word-line pulse width, an operating margin fluctuating according to the word-line pulse width, and an operating margin fluctuating owing to the variation in threshold voltage during its fabrication are improved.

Abstract: The gate tunnel leakage current is increased in the up-to-date process, so that it is necessary to reduce the gate tunnel leakage current in the LSI which is driven by a battery for use in a cellular phone and which needs to be in a standby mode at a low leakage current. In a semiconductor integrated circuit device, the ground source electrode lines of logic and memory circuits are kept at a ground potential in an active mode, and are kept at a voltage higher than the ground potential in an unselected standby mode. The gate tunnel leakage current can be reduced without destroying data.

Abstract: Traffic between logic LSIs and memory is increasing year by year and there is demand for increase of capacity of communication between them and reduction of power consumption in the communication. Communication distances between LSIs can be reduced by stacking the LSIs. However, in a simple stack of logic LSIs and memory LSIs, it is difficult to ensure heat dissipation to cope with increasing heat densities and ensure transmission characteristics for fast communication with the outside of the stacked package. Also required is a connection topology that improves the performance of communication among the stacked LSIs while ensuring the versatility of the LSIs. An external-communication LSI, a memory LSI, and a logic LSI are stacked in this order in a semiconductor package and are interconnected by through silicon vias.

Abstract: High manufacturing yield is realized and variations in threshold voltage of each MOS transistor in a CMOS.SRAM is compensated. Body bias voltages are applied to wells for MOS transistors of each SRAM memory cell in any active mode of an information holding operation, a write operation and a read operation of an SRAM. The threshold voltages of PMOS and NMOS transistors of the SRAM are first measured. Control information is respectively programmed into control memories according to the results of determination. The levels of the body bias voltages are adjusted based on the programs so that variations in the threshold voltages of the MOS transistors of the CMOS.SRAM are controlled to a predetermined error span. A body bias voltage corresponding to a reverse body bias or an extremely shallow forward body bias is applied to a substrate for the MOS transistors with an operating voltage applied to the source of each MOS transistor.

Abstract: In a test method of stacked LSIs connected by Through Silicon Vias, it is difficult to perform a failure diagnosis by using a conventional device test method to only one side of a silicon wafer, there is a possibility of yield degradation at a stacking time of LSIs, and a plurality of LSIs is connected to one Through Silicon Via so that it is necessary to select and remedy a defective Through Silicon Via taking into account all the device states. These problems cannot be solved by conventional test methods.

Abstract: A semiconductor device including a pair of stacked semiconductor ICs capable of communicating with each other by wireless. Each IC has: a transmitter circuit operable to send, by wireless, transmit data together with a clock signal deciding a transmission timing, and arranged so that the wireless transmission timing is adjustable; a receiver circuit operable to receive data in synchronization with a clock signal received by wireless, and arranged so that its wireless reception timing is adjustable; and a control circuit operable to perform timing adjustments of the transmitter and receiver circuits based on a result of authentication of data returned by the other IC in response to data transmitted through the transmitter circuit, and received by the receiver circuit. This arrangement for near field communication between stacked semiconductor ICs enables: reduction of the scale of a circuit for communication timing adjustment; and highly accurate adjustment of the communication timing.