Patents by Inventor Seiichi Yoneda

Seiichi Yoneda 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: 20120274379
    Abstract: A semiconductor storage device which stops and resumes the supply of power supply voltage without the necessity of saving and returning a data signal between a volatile storage device and a nonvolatile storage device is provided. In the nonvolatile semiconductor storage device, the volatile storage device and the nonvolatile storage device are provided without separation. Specifically, in the semiconductor storage device, data is held in a data holding portion connected to a transistor including a semiconductor layer containing an oxide semiconductor and a capacitor. The potential of the data held in the data holding portion is controlled by a data potential holding circuit and a data potential control circuit. The data potential holding circuit can output data without leaking electric charge, and the data potential control circuit can control the potential of the data held in the data holding portion without leaking electric charge by capacitive coupling through the capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seiichi YONEDA, Hidetomo KOBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20120268164
    Abstract: A low-power programmable LSI that can perform dynamic configuration is provided. The programmable LSI includes a plurality of logic elements. The plurality of logic elements each include a configuration memory. Each of the plurality of logic elements performs different arithmetic processing and changes an electrical connection between the logic elements, in accordance with the configuration data stored in the configuration memory. The configuration memory includes a set of a volatile storage circuit and a nonvolatile storage circuit. The nonvolatile storage circuit includes a transistor whose channel is formed in an oxide semiconductor layer and a capacitor whose one of a pair of electrodes is electrically connected to a node that is set in a floating state when the transistor is turned off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hidetomo KOBAYASHI, Masami ENDO, Yutaka SHIONOIRI, Hiroki DEMBO, Tatsuji NISHIJIMA, Kazuaki OHSHIMA, Seiichi YONEDA, Jun KOYAMA
  • Publication number: 20120223304
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an antenna functioning as a coil, a capacitor electrically connected to the antenna in parallel, a passive element forming a resonance circuit with the antenna and the capacitor by being electrically connected to the antenna and the capacitor in parallel, a first field effect transistor controlling whether the passive element is electrically connected to the antenna and the capacitor in parallel or not, and a memory circuit. The memory circuit includes a second field effect transistor which includes an oxide semiconductor layer where a channel is formed and in which a data signal is input to one of a source and a drain. The gate voltage of the first field effect transistor is set depending on the voltage of the other of the source and the drain of the second field effect transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Seiichi YONEDA
  • Patent number: 8205801
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a memory portion, a logic portion, and a plurality of signal lines for electrically connecting the memory portion and the logic portion. In the case where a transfer rate between the semiconductor device and a communication device is ? [bps], a first clock frequency generated in the logic portion is K? [Hz] (K is an integer of 1 or more), the number of reading signal lines of the plurality of signal lines is n (n is an integer of 2 or more), and a second clock frequency generated in the logic portion is L?/n [Hz] (L is any integer satisfying L/n<K), data stored in the memory portion is read to the logic portion through the n reading signal lines with use of the second clock frequency L?/n [Hz].
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidetomo Kobayashi, Tomoaki Atsumi, Seiichi Yoneda, Yasuyuki Takahashi, Kiyoshi Kato
  • Publication number: 20120044778
    Abstract: A method for limiting writing of data to a specific memory cell without disconnecting a wiring of a memory cell array or placing a prober in contact with a memory cell, a row, or a column is provided. Row address data and column address data of a memory cell to which data cannot be written are stored in a register. Enable data which controls data writing is stored in the register. Next, in order to write data to a memory cell, row address data and column address data of a memory cell to which data is written, writing enable data, and the like are output from a logic circuit; thus, writing of data to a memory cell corresponding to the address data stored in the register is inhibited.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Inventor: Seiichi Yoneda
  • Publication number: 20120037972
    Abstract: It is an object to give excellent data retention characteristics to a semiconductor device in which stored data is judged in accordance with the potential of a gate of a specified transistor, by achieving both reduction in variation of the threshold voltage of the transistor and data retention for a long time. Charge is held (data is stored) in a node electrically connected only to a source or a drain of a transistor whose channel region is formed using an oxide semiconductor. There may be a plurality of transistors whose sources or drains are electrically connected to the node. The oxide semiconductor has a wider band gap and a lower intrinsic carrier density than silicon. By using such an oxide semiconductor for the channel region of the transistor, the transistor with an extremely low off-state current (leakage current) can be realized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Applicant: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seiichi Yoneda
  • Publication number: 20110278564
    Abstract: An n-channel transistor or a p-channel transistor provided with a second gate electrode for controlling a threshold voltage in addition to a normal gate electrode is used for a complementary logic circuit. In addition, an insulated gate field-effect transistor with an extremely low off-state current is used as a switching element to control the potential of the second gate electrode. A channel formation region of the transistor which functions as a switching element includes a semiconductor material whose band gap is wider than that of a silicon semiconductor and whose intrinsic carrier density is lower than that of silicon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2011
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Seiichi Yoneda
  • Publication number: 20110079650
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a memory portion, a logic portion, and a plurality of signal lines for electrically connecting the memory portion and the logic portion. In the case where a transfer rate between the semiconductor device and a communication device is ? [bps], a first clock frequency generated in the logic portion is K? [Hz] (K is an integer of 1 or more), the number of reading signal lines of the plurality of signal lines is n (n is an integer of 2 or more), and a second clock frequency generated in the logic portion is L?/n [Hz] (L is any integer satisfying L/n<K), data stored in the memory portion is read to the logic portion through the n reading signal lines with use of the second clock frequency L?/n [Hz].
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hidetomo Kobayashi, Tomoaki Atsumi, Seiichi Yoneda, Yasuyuki Takahashi, Kiyoshi Kato