Abstract: A constant current circuit includes a depletion-type NMOS transistor having a drain connected to a constant current output terminal, and a resistance element provided between the depletion-type NMOS transistor and a ground terminal. The depletion-type NMOS transistor includes a first depletion-type NMOS transistor and a second depletion-type NMOS transistor which are connected in parallel and arranged to have current directions forming an angle of 90 degrees. The resistance element includes a first resistor and a second resistor which are arranged to have current directions forming an angle of 90 degrees.

Abstract: The semiconductor device includes a Hall element, a first differential pair, a second differential pair, an output amplifier circuit, and a voltage divider circuit. The Hall element outputs a signal that is dependent on stress to be applied to a semiconductor substrate to the first differential pair. The voltage divider circuit divides a voltage into a divided voltage having a voltage dividing ratio that is dependent on the stress. The first differential pair outputs a first current based on the signal. The second differential pair outputs a second current based on the divided voltage and a reference voltage. The output amplifier circuit outputs a voltage based on the first and second currents. A gain of the output amplifier circuit is approximated by a sum of a difference between stress dependence coefficients of transconductances of the first and second differential pairs and a stress dependence coefficient of the voltage dividing ratio.

Abstract: Provided is a magnetic sensor circuit in which increase of a delay time period is suppressed to be small without reducing a noise suppressing effect, in a case where there are multiple magnetic field detection axes. A magnetic sensor circuit is configured to subject detection signals obtained from multiple magnetic-field detection axes to time division processing, and includes a magnetic detector including at least two magnetic sensors, a switching circuit selecting a magnetic sensor represented by a selection signal to transmit the detection signal, a comparator, a control circuit, and output terminals. The control circuit supplies the selection signal to the switching circuit, and determines that the magnetic field is detected in a case where the number of times that a signal level of the signal supplied from the switching circuit exceeds a reference level reaches the number of set times that is set to a plurality of times.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a vertical Hall element provided in a first region of a semiconductor substrate, and having the first to the third electrodes arranged side by side in order along a first straight line; a circuit provided in a second region of the semiconductor substrate different from the first region, and having a heat source; and a second straight line intersecting orthogonally a current path for a Hall element drive current which flows between the first electrode and the third electrode. The second line passes a center of the vertical Hall element, and a center point of a region which reaches the highest temperature in the circuit during an operation of the vertical Hall element lies on the second straight line.

Abstract: A stress compensation control circuit of the present invention is provided which is capable of using a compensation error similar to that at room temperature even at a high temperature and reducing the area of a chip for a semiconductor sensor as compared with the related art. The stress compensation control circuit compensates for a change in detection sensitivity due to a stress to be applied to the semiconductor sensor. The stress compensation control circuit includes a stress compensation voltage generating circuit generating a stress compensation voltage corresponding to the applied stress in accordance with a difference between changes in transconductance due to stresses in a first depletion transistor and a first enhancement transistor, and performs compensation for the detection sensitivity in correspondence to the stress applied to the semiconductor sensor.

Abstract: A magnetic sensor circuit includes: one of a first magnetic sensor element configured to output a voltage in accordance with a vertical magnetic field and a second magnetic sensor element configured to output a voltage in accordance with a horizontal magnetic field; a magnetic field signal processing circuit configured to output a signal in accordance with the voltage; at least three terminals capable of being connected to an external element, the at least three terminals being a first, a second, and a third terminal; a first wiring connecting the first terminal and the second terminal; and a second wiring connecting the first terminal and the third terminal in which one of the first magnetic sensor element and the second magnetic sensor element is arranged at a position where detection of a magnetic field generated by one of the first wiring and the second wiring is capable.

Abstract: A magnetic sensor circuit includes a vertical-magnetic-field sensor, a horizontal-magnetic-field sensor, a control circuit controlling a first measurement mode and a second measurement mode through switching, a first feedback circuit configuring a feedback loop of a first operational amplifier, a second feedback circuit configuring a feedback loop of a second operational amplifier, a connecting circuit, and at least any one of a first switch switching an impedance of the first feedback circuit, a second switch switching an impedance of the second feedback circuit, and a third switch switching an impedance of the connecting circuit those which controlled by the control circuit. The magnetic sensor circuit detects magnetic fields in nearly the same two-axial sensitivity without using a magnetic converging plate while reducing an occupation area of the amplifier circuit.

Abstract: The semiconductor device includes a vertical Hall element that is provided in a first region of a semiconductor substrate and has a plurality of first electrodes, and a resistive element that is provided in a second region different from the first region in the semiconductor substrate and has a plurality of second electrodes. The plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes are connected so that resistances of current paths are substantially the same in any phase in which the vertical Hall element is driven using a spinning current method.

Abstract: The semiconductor device includes a first vertical Hall element provided in a first region of a semiconductor substrate, and including a first plurality of electrodes arranged at predetermined intervals on a first straight line, a second vertical Hall element provided in a second region of the semiconductor substrate different from the first region, and including a second plurality of electrodes of the same number as that of the first plurality of electrodes, the second plurality of electrodes being arranged at the predetermined intervals on a second straight line parallel to the first straight line, a first drive power source configured to drive the first vertical Hall element, and a second drive power source configured to drive the second vertical Hall element and provided separately from the first drive power source.

Abstract: An output driver circuit provides an overcurrent protection function by a simple circuit configuration. The output driver circuit has a constant-current circuit, a constant-current mirror MOS transistor, and a selector circuit. The constant-current mirror MOS transistor and the output MOS transistor constitute a current mirror circuit. The gate of the output MOS transistor is controlled by a voltage based on a constant current generated by the constant-current mirror MOS transistor, thereby limiting the current flowing between the source and the drain of the output MOS transistor.

Abstract: Provided is a sensor circuit that has little possibility of being accidentally put into a test mode in response to an external input of noise or the like. The sensor circuit includes a clock generation circuit configured to output a control signal that is used to control intermittent operation to a physical quantity detection unit, and to output a sampling signal in a sleep period, a potential detection circuit configured to detect a potential at an output terminal and to output a detection signal, and a clock control circuit configured to output a mode switching signal that is a command to switch the clock generation circuit to a test mode, when a given signal pattern is detected in data that is obtained by sampling the detection signal based on the sampling signal.

Abstract: A magnetic sensor circuit includes a vertical-magnetic-field sensor, a horizontal-magnetic-field sensor, a control circuit controlling a first measurement mode and a second measurement mode through switching, a first feedback circuit configuring a feedback loop of a first operational amplifier, a second feedback circuit configuring a feedback loop of a second operational amplifier, a connecting circuit, and at least any one of a first switch switching an impedance of the first feedback circuit, a second switch switching an impedance of the second feedback circuit, and a third switch switching an impedance of the connecting circuit those which controlled by the control circuit. The magnetic sensor circuit detects magnetic fields in nearly the same two-axial sensitivity without using a magnetic converging plate while reducing an occupation area of the amplifier circuit.

Abstract: Provided is a semiconductor device which is testable even with an inspection apparatus having low current drivability, and includes an output terminal which is also used as a test terminal and an output driver having high current drivability. The semiconductor device includes a plurality of voltage determination circuits connected to the output terminal of the semiconductor device, and have threshold values that are different from each other, an encoding circuit connected to the plurality of voltage determination circuits, and configured to output an encoded signal, and a mode switching circuit configured to output a mode signal to an internal circuit depending on the encoded signal and a signal from the internal circuit.

Abstract: A magnetic sensor circuit includes: one of a first magnetic sensor element configured to output a voltage in accordance with a vertical magnetic field and a second magnetic sensor element configured to output a voltage in accordance with a horizontal magnetic field; a magnetic field signal processing circuit configured to output a signal in accordance with the voltage; at least three terminals capable of being connected to an external element, the at least three terminals being a first, a second, and a third terminal; a first wiring connecting the first terminal and the second terminal; and a second wiring connecting the first terminal and the third terminal in which one of the first magnetic sensor element and the second magnetic sensor element is arranged at a position where detection of a magnetic field generated by one of the first wiring and the second wiring is capable.

Abstract: Provided is a sensor circuit that has little possibility of being accidentally put into a test mode in response to an external input of noise or the like. The sensor circuit includes a clock generation circuit configured to output a control signal that is used to control intermittent operation to a physical quantity detection unit, and to output a sampling signal in a sleep period, a potential detection circuit configured to detect a potential at an output terminal and to output a detection signal, and a clock control circuit configured to output a mode switching signal that is a command to switch the clock generation circuit to a test mode, when a given signal pattern is detected in data that is obtained by sampling the detection signal based on the sampling signal.

Abstract: Provided is a semiconductor device which is testable even with an inspection apparatus having low current drivability, and includes an output terminal which is also used as a test terminal and an output driver having high current drivability. The semiconductor device includes a plurality of voltage determination circuits connected to the output terminal of the semiconductor device, and have threshold values that are different from each other, an encoding circuit connected to the plurality of voltage determination circuits, and configured to output an encoded signal, and a mode switching circuit configured to output a mode signal to an internal circuit depending on the encoded signal and a signal from the internal circuit.

Abstract: To provide a magnetic sensor which is reduced in power consumption without reducing magnetism detection sensitivity of a magnetoelectric transducing element. One end of a magnetoelectric transducing element is connected to an output electrode of a constant current circuit, and the other end thereof is connected to a power supply electrode on the positive side of one or plural signal processing circuits, and the like built in a magnetic sensor, whereby a connection relation of the magnetoelectric transducing element and the signal processing circuit is configured such that they are connected in series with a voltage source.

Abstract: To provide a sensor device which is capable of high temperature detection using self-heat generation without providing a dedicated terminal and suppresses an increase in cost with an increase in chip occupation area due to the addition of a test pad. A sensor device is configured to include an active logic switching circuit for switching an active logic of an output driver and perform a heating inspection while switching the active logic of the output driver during an inspection process with the output driver as a heat generation source.

Abstract: A Hall sensor includes a Hall element and a heat source element in a circuit configured to drive the semiconductor Hall element, and capable of eliminating an offset voltage without increasing a chip size. In the Hall sensor, a Hall element control current flowing between one pair of terminals out of two pairs and a Hall element control current flowing between another pair of terminals cross each other as vectors, the Hall element has a shape that is line-symmetrical to the straight line along a vector sum of the Hall element control current and the Hall element control current, and the heat source element is arranged so that the center of the heat source is positioned on the straight line along the vector sum of the Hall element control current and the Hall element control current.

Abstract: To provide a magnetic sensor circuit that outputs a desired detection pulse while preventing an erroneous detection/erroneous release pulse output when a fluctuation in a power supply voltage occurs within an operating power supply voltage range. A magnetic sensor circuit is configured to include a detection circuit that detects a fluctuation in a power supply voltage or an internal power supply voltage and so as not to latch a determination output of a comparator by a latch circuit that, on the basis of a power supply fluctuation detection signal output from the detection circuit, holds the logic of a control clock signal output from an oscillation circuit for a prescribed period of time and determines the output logic of an output terminal.