Abstract: The present invention provides a method of driving a nonvolatile flip-flop circuit comprising the following steps of: a data hold step of holding an input data signal D utilizing polarization of a ferroelectric material of a ferroelectric gate transistor (601) when the data signal D is input while a first clocked inverter (604), a second clocked inverter (603), and a third switching element (602) are turned on and a first switching element (605), a second switching element (607), and a third clocked inverter (608) are turned off; and a data output step of outputting an output signal Q (?Q) based on the held data signal D placing the first clocked inverter (604), the second clocked inverter (603), and the third switching element (602) in the OFF state and placing the first switching element (605), the second switching element (607), and the third clocked inverter (608) in the ON state so as to interrupt an input of a data signal and maintain a polarization state of the ferroelectric material of the ferroelectr

Abstract: A non-volatile memory cell comprising a latch circuit (1) which comprises a first node (6) and a second node (7) and latches complementary data set in the first node (6) and the second node (7), a first switching element (4) which connects the first node (6) and a first data input/output line (2), a second switching element (5) which connects the second node (7) and a second data input/output line (3), a first ferroelectric capacitor (8a) which connects the second data input/output line (3) and the first node (6), and a second ferroelectric capacitor (8b) which connects the first data input/output line (2) and the second node (7).

Abstract: A ferroelectric gate device which comprises a ferroelectric capacitor (1), a switching element (2) serving as a resistor or a capacitor depending on the voltage applied, and a field-effect transistor (6) having a source, a drain and a gate, said ferroelectric capacitor (1) having an input terminal (IN) at one end, the other end of said ferroelectric capacitor (1) being connected to one end of said switching element (2), the other end of said switching element (2) being connected to the gate of said field-effect transistor (6), by applying a voltage to said input terminal, said switching element (2) serving as a resistor when a voltage higher than the coercive voltage (Vc) of a ferroelectric substance which said ferroelectric capacitor (1) comprises is applied to said ferroelectric capacitor (1), and by applying a voltage to said input terminal, said switching element (2) serving as a capacitor when a voltage lower than the coercive voltage (Vc) of said ferroelectric substance is applied to said ferroelectric

Abstract: In an electric potential generating device, a source of an N type MIS transistor is mutually connected to that of a P type MIS transistor and also connected to an output terminal. A drain of an N type MIS transistor 54 is connected to a power supply voltage supply portion for supplying power supply voltage VDD, and a drain of the P type MIS transistor is connected to a ground. In addition, a substrate potential of the N type MIS transistor is a ground voltage VSS, and that of a P type MIS transistor 56 is the power supply voltage VDD. Thus, it is constituted as a source follower circuit for taking output out of the source. It is possible, by utilizing this electric potential generating device, to obtain a logic transformation circuit for stably switching between NOR operation and NAND operation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of driving a nonvolatile flip-flop circuit comprising the following steps of: a data hold step of holding an input data signal D utilizing polarization of a ferroelectric material of a ferroelectric gate transistor (601) when the data signal D is input while a first clocked inverter (604), a second clocked inverter (603), and a third switching element (602) are turned on and a first switching element (605), a second switching element (607), and a third clocked inverter (608) are turned off; and a data output step of outputting an output signal Q (?Q) based on the held data signal D placing the first clocked inverter (604), the second clocked inverter (603), and the third switching element (602) in the OFF state and placing the first switching element (605), the second switching element (607), and the third clocked inverter (608) in the ON state so as to interrupt an input of a data signal and maintain a polarization state of the ferroelectric material of the ferroelectr

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a control-voltage supply unit 110; an MOS transistor including a gate electrode 109 and drain and source regions 103a and 103b; a dielectric capacitor 104; and a resistor 106. The dielectric capacitor 104 and the resistor 106 are disposed in parallel and interposed between the gate electrode 109 and the control-voltage supply unit 110. With this structure, a charge is accumulated in each of an intermediate electrode of the dielectric capacitor 104 and the gate electrode 109 upon the application of a voltage, thereby varying a threshold value of the MOS transistor. In this manner, the history of input signals can be stored as a variation in a drain current in the MOS transistor, thus allowing multilevel information to be held.

Abstract: A ferroelectric gate device which comprises a ferroelectric capacitor (1), a switching element (2) serving as a resistor or a capacitor depending on the voltage applied, and a field-effect transistor (6) having a source, a drain and a gate, said ferroelectric capacitor (1) having an input terminal (IN) at one end, the other end of said ferroelectric capacitor (1) being connected to one end of said switching element (2), the other end of said switching element (2) being connected to the gate of said field-effect transistor (6), by applying a voltage to said input terminal, said switching element (2) serving as a resistor when a voltage higher than the coercive voltage (Vc) of a ferroelectric substance which said ferroelectric capacitor (1) comprises is applied to said ferroelectric capacitor (1), and by applying a voltage to said input terminal, said switching element (2) serving as a capacitor when a voltage lower than the coercive voltage (Vc) of said ferroelectric substance is applied to said ferroelectric

Abstract: A non-volatile memory comprising: a first substrate (100) and a second substrate (110), the first substrate (100) having a plurality of switching elements (4) arranged in matrix, and a plurality of first electrodes (18) connected to the switching element (4), the second substrate (110) having a conductive film (32), and a recording layer (34) whose resistance value changes by application of an electric pulse, wherein the plurality of first electrodes (18) are integrally covered by the recording layer (34), the recording layer (34) thereby being held between the plurality of first electrodes (18) and the conductive film (32); the first substrate (100) further comprising a second electrode (22), the second electrode (22) being electrically connected to the conductive film (32), the voltage of which is maintained at a set level while applying current to the recording layer (34). This non-volatile memory achieves high integration at low cost.

Abstract: A non-volatile memory (1) which comprises an insulating substrate (11) having a plurality of first electrodes (15) extending therethrough from a front surface of the substrate to a rear surface thereof, a second electrode (12) formed on one surface side of the substrate (11), and a recording layer (14) held between the first electrodes (15) and the second electrode (12) and variable in resistance value by electric pulses applied across the first electrodes (15) and the second electrode (12), the plurality of first electrodes (15) being electrically connected to the recording layer (14) in a region constituting a single memory cell (MC). The non-volatile memory (1) can be reduced in power consumption and has great freedom of design and high reliability.

Abstract: A method of driving a non-volatile flip-flop circuit comprising a first inverter (INV1) coupled to a first memory node (9) and a second memory node (10), a second inverter (INV2) coupled to the second memory node (10) and the first memory node (9), a first pass transistor (5), a second pass transistor (6), a first switching element for control (7) and a first variable resistor element (15) which are connected serially to each other and are connected between the first memory node (9) and a plate line (18), and a second switching element for control (8) and a second variable resistor element (16) which are connected serially to each other and are connected between the second memory node (10) and the plate line (18), wherein the resistance values of the first and second variable resistor elements (15, 16) can be changed by the heat generated by a current.

Abstract: A ferroelectric gate device which comprises a ferroelectric capacitor (1), a switching element (2) serving as a resistor of a capacitor depending on the voltage applied, and a field-effect transistor (6) having a source, a drain and a gate, said ferroelectric capacitor (1) having an input terminal (IN) at one end, the other end of said ferroelectric capacitor (1) being connected to one end of said switching element (2), the other end of said switching element (2) being connected to the gate of said field-effect transistor (6), by applying a voltage to said input terminal, said switching element (2) serving as a resistor when a voltage higher than the coercive voltage (Vc) of a ferroelectric substance which said ferroelectric capacitor (1), and by applying a voltage to said input terminal, said switching element (2) serving as a capacitor when a voltage lower than the coercive voltage (Vc) of said ferroelectric substance is applied to said ferroelectric capacitor (1).

Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor storage element, which is provided with a floating gate electrode, and a dielectric capacitor and a ferroelectric capacitor both connected to the floating gate electrode. By applying voltage between a first polarization voltage supplying terminal and a second polarization voltage supplying terminal, polarization serving as information is generated in the ferroelectric film of the ferroelectric capacitor. Additionally, when a read-out voltage is applied between the ground terminal and the power source voltage terminal that are in connection with the source and drain regions, the MISFET is turned either on or off in correspondence to the state of the charge held in the floating gate electrode, and thus information within the floating gate electrode is read out.

Abstract: In an electric potential generating device, a source of an N type MIS transistor is mutually connected to that of a P type MIS transistor and also connected to an output terminal. A drain of an N type MIS transistor 54 is connected to a power supply voltage supply portion for supplying power supply voltage VDD, and a drain of the P type MIS transistor is connected to a ground. In addition, a substrate potential of the N type MIS transistor is a ground voltage VSS, and that of a P type MIS transistor 56 is the power supply voltage VDD. Thus, it is constituted as a source follower circuit for taking output out of the source. It is possible, by utilizing this electric potential generating device, to obtain a logic transformation circuit for stably switching between NOR operation and NAND operation.

Abstract: A learning method of a semiconductor device of the present invention comprises a neuro device having a multiplier as a synapse in which a weight varies according to an input weight voltage, and functioning as a neural network system that processes analog data, comprising a step A of inputting predetermined input data to the neuro device and calculating an error between a target value of an output of the neuro device with respect to the input data and an actual output, a step B of calculating variation amount in the error by varying a weight of the multiplier thereafter, and a step C of varying the weight of the multiplier based on the variation amount in the error, wherein in the steps B and C, after inputting a reset voltage for setting the weight to a substantially constant value to the multiplier as the weight voltage, the weight is varied by inputting the weight voltage corresponding to the weight to be varied.

Abstract: A non-volatile memory (1) which comprises an insulating substrate (11) having a plurality of first electrodes (15) extending therethrough from a front surface of the substrate to a rear surface thereof, a second electrode (12) formed on one surface side of the substrate (11), and a recording layer (14) held between the first electrodes (15) and the second electrode (12) and variable in resistance value by electric pulses applied across the first electrodes (15) and the second electrode (12), the plurality of first electrodes (15) being electrically connected to the recording layer (14) in a region constituting a single memory cell (MC). The non-volatile memory (1) can be reduced in power consumption and has great freedom of design and high reliability.

Abstract: Non-volatile latch circuit 10 of the present invention comprises ferroelectric capacitor 1 provided with a first electrode 1a, second electrode 1b, and ferroelectric film 1c that lies between these electrodes; reset terminal Tre that is connected to first electrode 1a and a CMOS inverter element 2 that is connected to second electrode 1b of ferroelectric capacitor 1; voltage switching terminal Tpl that applies a voltage to second electrode 1b; switching element 5 that is connected between second electrode 1b and second input terminal Tpl and switches a voltage applied to second electrode 1b; and set terminal Tse that applies a voltage for switching on or off switching element 5, wherein the voltage generated in second electrode 1b caused by polarization retained by ferroelectric film 1c is higher than the threshold voltage Vtn of NMISFET 4 of CMOS inverter element 2.

Abstract: A deposition film forming apparatus has a reaction vessel the inside of which can be evacuated. In the reaction vessel, a gas supplying unit for supplying a raw material gas is arranged, and a plurality of cylindrical substrates are arranged at equal intervals on a common circumference. A high-frequency electric power introducing unit is arranged outside the reaction vessel. A deposition film is formed on the cylindrical substrates by exciting and dissociating the raw material gas by means of high-frequency electric power. The deposition film forming apparatus has a grounded and conductive cylindrical member placed in an area surrounded by the cylindrical substrates arranged on the common circumference.

Abstract: A method of driving a non-volatile flip-flop circuit comprising a first inverter (INV1) coupled to a first memory node (9) and a second memory node (10), a second inverter (INV2) coupled to the second memory node (10) and the first memory node (9), a first pass transistor (5), a second pass transistor (6), a first switching element for control (7) and a first variable resistor element (15) which are connected serially to each other and are connected between the first memory node (9) and a plate line (18), and a second switching element for control (8) and a second variable resistor element (16) which are connected serially to each other and are connected between the second memory node (10) and the plate line (18), wherein the resistance values of the first and second variable resistor elements (15, 16) can be changed by the heat generated by a current.

Abstract: In an electric potential generating device, a source of an N type MIS transistor is mutually connected to that of a P type MIS transistor and also connected to an output terminal. A drain of an N type MIS transistor 54 is connected to a power supply voltage supply portion for supplying power supply voltage VDD, and a drain of the P type MIS transistor is connected to a ground. In addition, a substrate potential of the N type MIS transistor is a ground voltage VSS, and that of a P type MIS transistor 56 is the power supply voltage VDD. Thus, it is constituted as a source follower circuit for taking output out of the source. It is possible, by utilizing this electric potential generating device, to obtain a logic transformation circuit for stably switching between NOR operation and NAND operation.

Abstract: A non-volatile memory cell comprising a latch circuit (1) which comprises a first node (6) and a second node (7) and latches complementary data set in the first node (6) and the second node (7), a first switching element (4) which connects the first node (6) and a first data input/output line (2), a second switching element (5) which connects the second node (7) and a second data input/output line (3), a first ferroelectric capacitor (8a) which connects the second data input/output line (3) and the first node (6), and a second ferroelectric capacitor (8b) which connects the first data input/output line (2) and the second node (7).