Patents by Inventor Masanao Yamaoka

Masanao Yamaoka 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).

  • Publication number: 20100155921
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2009
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Inventors: Makoto SAEN, Kenichi Osada, Masanao Yamaoka, Tomonori Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 7732864
    Abstract: The present invention provides a high speed and low power consumption LSI operable in a wide temperature range in which a MOS transistor having back gates is used specifically according to operating characteristics of a circuit. In the LSI, an FD-SOI structure having an embedded oxide film layer is used and a lower semiconductor region of the embedded oxide film layer is used as a back gate. A voltage for back gates in the logic circuits having a small load in the logic circuit block is controlled in response to activation of the block from outside of the block. Transistors, in which the gate and the back gate are connected to each other, are used for the circuit generating the back gate driving signal, and logic circuits having a heavy load such as circuit block output section, and the back gates are directly controlled according to the gate input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Takayuki Kawahara, Masanao Yamaoka
  • Patent number: 7715223
    Abstract: The invention provides a semiconductor integrated circuit device provided with an SRAM that satisfies the requirements for both the SNM and the write margin with a low supply voltage. The semiconductor integrated circuit device include: multiple static memory cells provided in correspondence with multiple word lines and multiple complimentary bit lines; multiple memory cell power supply lines that each supply an operational voltage to each of the multiple memory cells connected to the multiple complimentary bit lines each; multiple power supply circuits comprised of resistive units that each supply a power supply voltage to the memory cell power supply lines each; and a pre-charge circuit that supplies a pre-charge voltage corresponding to the power supply voltage to the complimentary bit lines, wherein the memory cell power supply lines are made to have coupling capacitances to thereby transmit a write signal on corresponding complimentary bit lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Noriaki Maeda, Yoshihiro Shinozaki, Masanao Yamaoka, Yasuhisa Shimazaki, Masanori Isoda, Koji Nll
  • Publication number: 20100097129
    Abstract: There is provided an output stage circuit including such MOSTs (M) that when their gates and sources are respectively set to an equal voltage, subthreshold leakage currents substantially flow between their drains and sources, wherein upon its deactivation, a voltage is applied to the gate of each of the MOSTs (M) in such a manner than a reverse bias is applied between the gate and source of the MOST (M). That is, when the MOST (M) is of a p channel type, a voltage higher than that of a p type source is applied to its gate. When the MOST (M) is of an n channel type, a voltage lower than that of an n type source is applied to its gate. Upon activation of the circuit, the MOST is held in a reverse bias state or controlled to a forward bias state according to an input voltage. A CMOS circuit and a semiconductor device can be realized each of which is small in leakage current even though its threshold voltage is low and which is operated at high speed and with a small voltage amplitude.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2007
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Inventors: Kiyoo Itoh, Masanao Yamaoka
  • Publication number: 20100080046
    Abstract: A logic circuit in a system LSI is provided with a power switch so as to cut off the switch at the time of standby, reducing leakage current. At the same time, an SRAM circuit of the system LSI controls a substrate bias to reduce leakage current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Inventors: MASANAO YAMAOKA, Koichiro Ishibashi, Shigezumi Matsui, Kenichi Osada
  • Publication number: 20100065911
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a technique of reducing the power consumption of an entire low power consumption SRAM LSI circuit employing scaled-down transistors and of increasing the stability of read and write operations on the memory cells by reducing the subthreshold leakage current and the leakage current flowing from the drain electrode to the substrate electrode. Another object of the present invention is to provide a technique of preventing an increase in the number of transistors in a memory cell and thereby preventing an increase in the cell area. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a technique of ensuring stable operation of an SRAM memory cell made up of SOI or FD-SOI transistors having a BOX layer by controlling the potentials of the wells under the BOX layers of the drive transistors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2009
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Inventors: Masanao YAMAOKA, Takayuki KAWAHARA
  • Publication number: 20100061169
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a technique of reducing the leakage current of a drive circuit for driving a circuit that must retain a potential (or information) when in its standby state. A semiconductor integrated circuit device of the present invention includes a drive circuit for driving a circuit block. This drive circuit is made up of a double gate transistor with gates having different gate oxide film thicknesses. When the circuit block is in its standby state, the gate of the double gate transistor having a thinner gate oxide film is turned off and that having a thicker gate oxide film is turned on. This arrangement allows a reduction in the leakage currents of both the circuit block and the drive circuit while allowing the drive circuit to deliver or cut off power to the circuit block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2009
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Inventors: Masanao YAMAOKA, Takayuki Kawahara
  • Publication number: 20100054049
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Inventors: Masanao YAMAOKA, Kenichi OSADA
  • Publication number: 20100027322
    Abstract: In this invention, 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Inventors: Masanao Yamaoka, Kenichi Osada, Shigenobu Komatsu
  • Patent number: 7646662
    Abstract: A logic circuit in a system LSI is provided with a power switch so as to cut off the switch at the time of standby, reducing leakage current. At the same time, an SRAM circuit of the system LSI controls a substrate bias to reduce leakage current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Masanao Yamaoka, Koichiro Ishibashi, Shigezumi Matsui, Kenichi Osada
  • Patent number: 7639525
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device for reducing the power consumption of an entire low power consumption SRAM LSI circuit employing scaled-down transistors and of increasing the stability of read and write operations on the memory cells by reducing the subthreshold leakage current and the leakage current flowing from the drain electrode to the substrate electrode is provided. The semiconductor memory device also prevents an increase in the number of transistors in a memory cell and thereby preventing an increase in the cell area, and ensures stable operation of an SRAM memory cell made up of SOI or FD-SOI transistors having a BOX layer by controlling the potentials of the wells under the BOX layers of the drive transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Masanao Yamaoka, Takayuki Kawahara
  • Patent number: 7633315
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a technique of reducing the leakage current of a drive circuit for driving a circuit that must retain a potential (or information) when in its standby state. A semiconductor integrated circuit device of the present invention includes a drive circuit for driving a circuit block. This drive circuit is made up of a double gate transistor with gates having different gate oxide film thicknesses. When the circuit block is in its standby state, the gate of the double gate transistor having a thinner gate oxide film is turned off and that having a thicker gate oxide film is turned on. This arrangement allows a reduction in the leakage currents of both the circuit block and the drive circuit while allowing the drive circuit to deliver or cut off power to the circuit block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Masanao Yamaoka, Takayuki Kawahara
  • Patent number: 7616519
    Abstract: The present invention provides a technique capable of achieving area reduction on a semiconductor integrated circuit device mounted with a time sharing virtual multi port memory or the like. By providing a configuration including a single port memory, data latch circuit for plural ports, a selector for selecting a port to be connected to the single port memory, a time sharing control signal generating circuit and the like, in which an operation termination signal inside the single port memory (a word line rising signal, a sense amplifier driving signal for data read or the like) is inputted to the time sharing control signal generating circuit to produce a port switching control signal and an operation control signal for the single port memory, a time sharing virtual multi port memory with a reduced area can be realized which requires no clock generating circuit for time sharing control newly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Shigenobu Komatsu, Masanao Yamaoka
  • Patent number: 7596013
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Masanao Yamaoka, Kenichi Osada, Shigenobu Komatsu
  • Patent number: 7589993
    Abstract: A memory using an SRAM memory cell intended for low-voltage operation is designed to decrease the threshold value of MOS transistors constituting the memory cell without substantial decrease in the static noise margin, which is the operational margin of the memory cell. To this end, a voltage Vdd? higher than a power supply voltage Vdd of a power supply line for peripheral circuits is supplied from a power supply line for memory cells as a power supply voltage for memory cells. Since the conductance of driver MOS transistors is in-creased, the threshold voltage of the MOS transistors within the memory cells can be reduced without reducing the static noise margin. Further the ratio of width between the driver MOS transistor and a transfer MOS transistor can be set to 1, thereby allowing a reduction in the memory cell area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Masanao Yamaoka, Kenichi Osada, Koichiro Ishibashi
  • Publication number: 20090153182
    Abstract: A speed performance measurement circuit that may perform speed performance measurement is provided between a first logic circuit and a second logic circuit. The speed performance measurement circuit includes a first flip flop that stores first data, a first delay circuit that delays the first data and generates second data, and a second flip flop that stores the second data. Furthermore, the speed performance measurement circuit includes a first comparator circuit that compares output of the first flip flop to output of the second flip flop, and a third flip flop that stores output data from the first comparator circuit in accordance with timing of the first clock signal. Data in a normal path is compared to data in a path delayed by a certain time to measure speed, and power voltage of a circuit is determined based on such comparison. Thus, change in speed with respect to power voltage in a critical path can be measured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2008
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Inventors: Masanao YAMAOKA, Kenichi Osada
  • Publication number: 20090129142
    Abstract: A SRAM memory is composed of FD-SOI transistors, and performance of the memory cell is improved by controlling an electric potential of a layer under a buried oxide film of a SOI transistor constituting a driver transistor. Performance of the SRAM circuit in the low power voltage state is improved. In the SRAM memory cell composed of the FD-SOI transistor, an electric potential of a well under a BOX layer is controlled to control a threshold voltage Vth, thereby increasing a current. Thus, the operations of the memory cell can be stabilized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Inventors: Masanao Yamaoka, Kenichi Osada, Kiyoo Itoh, Takayuki Kawahara
  • Publication number: 20090116279
    Abstract: The invention provides a semiconductor integrated circuit device provided with an SRAM that satisfies the requirements for both the SNM and the write margin with a low supply voltage. The semiconductor integrated circuit device include: multiple static memory cells provided in correspondence with multiple word lines and multiple complimentary bit lines; multiple memory cell power supply lines that each supply an operational voltage to each of the multiple memory cells connected to the multiple complimentary bit lines each; multiple power supply circuits comprised of resistive units that each supply a power supply voltage to the memory cell power supply lines each; and a pre-charge circuit that supplies a pre-charge voltage corresponding to the power supply voltage to the complimentary bit lines, wherein the memory cell power supply lines are made to have coupling capacitances to thereby transmit a write signal on corresponding complimentary bit lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Inventors: Noriaki Maeda, Yoshihiro Shinozaki, Masanao Yamaoka, Yasuhisa Shimazaki, Masanori Isoda, Koji Nll
  • Publication number: 20090097302
    Abstract: A logic circuit in a system LSI is provided with a power switch so as to cut off the switch at the time of standby, reducing leakage current. At the same time, an SRAM circuit of the system LSI controls a substrate bias to reduce leakage current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2008
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Inventors: Masanao Yamaoka, Koichiro Ishibashi, Shigezumi Matsui, Kenichi Osada
  • Patent number: 7498637
    Abstract: A SRAM memory is composed of FD-SOI transistors, and performance of the memory cell is improved by controlling an electric potential of a layer under a buried oxide film of a SOI transistor constituting a driver transistor. Performance of the SRAM circuit in the low power voltage state is improved. In the SRAM memory cell composed of the FD-SOI transistor, an electric potential of a well under a BOX layer is controlled to control a threshold voltage Vth, thereby increasing a current. Thus, the operations of the memory cell can be stabilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Masanao Yamaoka, Kenichi Osada, Kiyoo Itoh, Takayuki Kawahara