Patents by Inventor Makoto Yabuuchi

Makoto Yabuuchi has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9978445
    Abstract: A semiconductor storage device provided can increase a write margin and suppress increase of a chip area. The semiconductor storage device includes plural memory cells arranged in a matrix; plural bit-line pairs arranged corresponding to each column of the memory cells; a write driver circuit which transmits data to a bit-line pair of a selected column according to write data; and a write assist circuit which drives a bit line on a low potential side of the bit-line pair of a selected column to a negative voltage level. The write assist circuit includes first signal wiring; a first driver circuit which drives the first signal wiring according to a control signal; and second signal wiring which is coupled to the bit line on the low-potential side and generates a negative voltage by the driving of the first driver circuit, based on inter-wire coupling capacitance with the first signal wiring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sano, Ken Shibata, Shinji Tanaka, Makoto Yabuuchi, Noriaki Maeda
  • Patent number: 9947393
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a control unit which causes a column selection circuit to separate bit line pairs from a common bit line pair and causes a sense amplifier circuit to amplify a potential difference between the common bit line pair precharged by a precharge circuit, in response to a unique ID generation instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Yabuuchi, Hidehiro Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 9935105
    Abstract: Data hold time is controlled without excessively increasing a circuit area. A semiconductor device includes a data buffer and a flip-flop formed of fin. As a delay line, gate wirings being in the same layer as gate electrodes of the fin are provided in a data signal path from a data output node of the data buffer to a data input node of the flip-flop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Makoto Yabuuchi
  • Patent number: 9922703
    Abstract: A multiport memory includes an address control circuit, a memory array, a data input-output circuit and a control circuit and first and second address signals and a clock signal are input through two ports. The address control circuit includes first and second latch circuits, a selection circuit, a decode circuit and a word line drive circuit. The first address signal input through one port is input into the first latch circuit and the second address signal input through the other port is input into the selection circuit. The selection circuit selects one of the first and second address signals, the second latch circuit latches and outputs the selected address signal to the decode circuit. The word line drive circuit drives a word line on the basis of an output signal from the decode circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Yuichiro Ishii, Makoto Yabuuchi, Masao Morimoto
  • Publication number: 20180047443
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a control unit which causes a column selection circuit to separate bit line pairs from a common bit line pair and causes a sense amplifier circuit to amplify a potential difference between the common bit line pair precharged by a precharge circuit, in response to a unique ID generation instruction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Applicant: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto YABUUCHI, Hidehiro FUJIWARA
  • Publication number: 20180026024
    Abstract: An area of a semiconductor device having a FINFET can be reduced. The drain regions of an n-channel FINFET and a p-channel FINFET are extracted by two second local interconnects from a second Y gird between a gate electrode and a dummy gate adjacent thereto, to a third Y grid adjacent to the second Y gird. These second local interconnects are connected by a first local interconnect extending in the X direction in the third Y grid. According to such a cell layout, although the number of grids is increased by one because of the arrangement of the first local interconnect, the length in the X direction can be reduced. As a result, the cell area of the unit cell can be reduced while a space between the first and second local interconnects is secured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Applicant: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi OKAGAKI, Koji SHIBUTANI, Makoto YABUUCHI, Nobuhiro TSUDA
  • Publication number: 20180019013
    Abstract: A semiconductor device with a memory unit of which the variations in the operation timing are reduced is provided. For example, the semiconductor device is provided with dummy bit lines which are arranged collaterally with a proper bit line, and column direction load circuits which are sequentially coupled to the dummy bit lines. Each column direction load circuit is provided with plural NMOS transistors fixed to an off state, predetermined ones of which have the source and the drain suitably coupled to any of the dummy bit lines. Load capacitance accompanying diffusion layer capacitance of the predetermined NMOS transistors is added to the dummy bit lines, and corresponding to the load capacitance, the delay time from a decode activation signal to a dummy bit line signal is set up. The dummy bit line signal is employed when setting the start-up timing of a sense amplifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Applicant: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: SHINJI TANAKA, MAKOTO YABUUCHI, YUTA YOSHIDA
  • Publication number: 20180012891
    Abstract: A semiconductor device (1) according to an embodiment includes: a semiconductor substrate; a first well (15) formed on the semiconductor substrate; a second well (15) formed on the semiconductor substrate; first fins (11) formed in the first well; second fins (21) formed in the second well; and a first electrode (12a) connected to each of the first and second fins. The first well and the first fins (11) have the same conductivity type, and the second well and the second fins (21) have different conductivity types.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventors: Makoto YABUUCHI, Yuichiro ISHII
  • Publication number: 20170358344
    Abstract: A multiport memory includes an address control circuit, a memory array, a data input-output circuit and a control circuit and first and second address signals and a clock signal are input through two ports. The address control circuit includes first and second latch circuits, a selection circuit, a decode circuit and a word line drive circuit. The first address signal input through one port is input into the first latch circuit and the second address signal input through the other port is input into the selection circuit. The selection circuit selects one of the first and second address signals, the second latch circuit latches and outputs the selected address signal to the decode circuit. The word line drive circuit drives a word line on the basis of an output signal from the decode circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Inventors: Yuichiro ISHII, Makoto YABUUCHI, Masao MORIMOTO
  • Patent number: 9830977
    Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor integrated circuit device that can generate a unique ID with the suppression of overhead. When a unique ID is generated, the potential of a word line of a memory cell in an SRAM is raised above the power supply voltage of the SRAM, and then lowered below the power supply voltage of the SRAM. When the potential of the word line is above the power supply voltage of the SRAM, the same data is supplied to both the bit lines of the memory cell. Thereby, the memory cell in the SRAM is put into an undefined state and then changed so as to hold data according to characteristics of elements or the like configuring the memory cell. In the manufacture of the SRAM, there occur variations in characteristics of elements or the like configuring the memory cell. Accordingly, the memory cell in the SRAM holds data according to variations occurring in the manufacture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Yabuuchi, Hidehiro Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 9812435
    Abstract: An area of a semiconductor device having a FINFET can be reduced. The drain regions of an n-channel FINFET and a p-channel FINFET are extracted by two second local interconnects from a second Y gird between a gate electrode and a dummy gate adjacent thereto, to a third Y grid adjacent to the second Y gird. These second local interconnects are connected by a first local interconnect extending in the X direction in the third Y grid. According to such a cell layout, although the number of grids is increased by one because of the arrangement of the first local interconnect, the length in the X direction can be reduced. As a result, the cell area of the unit cell can be reduced while a space between the first and second local interconnects is secured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Okagaki, Koji Shibutani, Makoto Yabuuchi, Nobuhiro Tsuda
  • Publication number: 20170309326
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a SRAM circuit. The SRAM circuit includes: a memory array having a plurality of memory cells arranged in a matrix; a ground interconnection commonly connected to each of the memory cells; and a first potential control circuit for controlling a potential of the ground interconnection depending on an operation mode. The first potential control circuit includes a first NMOS transistor and a first PMOS transistor connected in parallel to each other between a around node providing a ground potential and the ground interconnection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Inventors: Yohei SAWADA, Makoto YABUUCHI, Yuichiro ISHII
  • Patent number: 9799396
    Abstract: A semiconductor device with a memory unit of which the variations in the operation timing are reduced is provided. For example, the semiconductor device is provided with dummy bit lines which are arranged collaterally with a proper bit line, and column direction load circuits which are sequentially coupled to the dummy bit lines. Each column direction load circuit is provided with plural NMOS transistors fixed to an off state, predetermined ones of which have the source and the drain suitably coupled to any of the dummy bit lines. Load capacitance accompanying diffusion layer capacitance of the predetermined NMOS transistors is added to the dummy bit lines, and corresponding to the load capacitance, the delay time from a decode activation signal to a dummy bit line signal is set up. The dummy bit line signal is employed when setting the start-up timing of a sense amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Tanaka, Makoto Yabuuchi, Yuta Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20170301664
    Abstract: Based on a basic idea to effectively utilize a space created in a third wiring layer (M3) by a zero-th wiring layer (M0) which can exist by miniaturization of a FINFET, an auxiliary line AL is arranged in the space created in the third wiring layer, and this auxiliary line AL and a word line WL are electrically connected to each other. Thus, a measure (device) based on such new knowledge that rising time of a word line voltage is largely affected by a wiring resistance of the word line is achieved, a high-speed operation in an SRAM using the FINFET is achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: Yuta YOSHIDA, Makoto YABUUCHI, Yoshisato YOKOYAMA
  • Publication number: 20170287554
    Abstract: There is provided, for example, a write assist circuit for controlling the voltage level of a memory cell power supply line coupled to an SRAM memory cell to be written in the write operation. The write assist circuit reduces the voltage level of the memory cell power supply line to a predetermined voltage level, in response to a write assist enable signal that is enabled in the write operation. At the same time, the write assist circuit controls the reduction speed of the voltage level of the memory cell power supply line, according to the pulse width of a write assist pulse signal. The pulse width of the write assist pulse signal is defined in such a way that the greater the number of rows (or the longer the length of the memory cell power supply line), the greater the pulse width.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventor: Makoto Yabuuchi
  • Publication number: 20170277455
    Abstract: The disclosed invention can provide a semiconductor device, a lifetime prediction system, and a lifetime prediction method enabling it to notify a user that a semiconductor device is likely to become faulty, before the semiconductor device becomes faulty. A semiconductor device includes functional units and a lifetime prediction circuit. The lifetime prediction circuit acquires a deterioration degree indicating a degree of how each functional unit deteriorates, using a signal that is output from each functional unit. The lifetime prediction circuit executes processing to make a notification that the semiconductor device is close to its lifetime, if the deterioration degree is more than a first threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventors: Takeshi Sunada, Daisuke Oshida, Makoto Yabuuchi
  • Publication number: 20170263307
    Abstract: A semiconductor storage device having a plurality of low power consumption modes is provided. The semiconductor storage device includes a plurality of memory modules where a plurality of low power consumption modes can be set and cancelled based on a first and a second control signals. At least a part of memory modules of the plurality of memory modules have a propagation path that propagates an inputted first control signal to a post stage memory module. The second control signal is inputted into each of the plurality of memory modules in parallel. Setting and cancelling of the first low power consumption mode of each memory module are performed based on a combination of the first control signal that is propagated through the propagation path and the second control signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Inventors: Makoto YABUUCHI, Shinji TANAKA
  • Publication number: 20170263334
    Abstract: Provided is a semiconductor storage device including: first memory cells; first word lines; first bit lines; a first common bit line; second memory cells; second word lines; second bit lines; a second common bit line; a first selection circuit that connects the first common bit line to a first bit line selected from the first bit lines; a second selection circuit that connects the second common bit line to a second bit line selected from the second bit lines; a word line driver that activates any one of the first and second word lines; a reference current supply unit that supplies a reference current to a common bit line among the first and second common bit lines, the common bit line not being electrically connected to a data read target memory cell; and a sense amplifier that amplifies a potential difference between the first and second common bit lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Applicant: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Makoto YABUUCHI
  • Publication number: 20170263605
    Abstract: Data hold time is controlled without excessively increasing a circuit area. A semiconductor device includes a data buffer and a flip-flop formed of fin. As a delay line, gate wirings being in the same layer as gate electrodes of the fin are provided in a data signal path from a data output node of the data buffer to a data input node of the flip-flop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2017
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Inventor: Makoto YABUUCHI
  • Publication number: 20170236579
    Abstract: In a semiconductor memory device, static memory cells are arranged in rows and columns, word lines correspond to respective memory cell rows, and word line drivers drive correspond to word lines. Cell power supply lines correspond to respective memory cell columns and are coupled to cell power supply nodes of a memory cell in a corresponding column. Down power supply lines are arranged corresponding to respective memory cell columns, maintained at ground voltage in data reading and rendered electrically floating in data writing. Write assist elements are arranged corresponding to the cell power supply lines, and according to a write column instruction signal for stopping supply of a cell power supply voltage to the cell power supply line in a selected column, and for coupling the cell power supply line arranged corresponding to the selected column at least to the down power supply line on the corresponding column.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2017
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Applicant: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Koji NII, Shigeki OHBAYASHI, Yasumasa TSUKAMOTO, Makoto YABUUCHI