IP Library Granted Patent US 8,699,284
Granted Patent B2
US 8,699,284 · App. 13/752,862 · Granted Apr 15, 2014

Semiconductor integrated circuit with thick gate oxide word line driving circuit

Inventors: Hiroyuki Takahashi (Kanagawa, JP); Hidetaka Natsume (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
G11C8/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,699,284
App. No.
13/752,862
Granted
Apr 15, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor integrated circuit according to one aspect of the present invention may includes a plurality of driving circuits to drive a respective plurality of word lines with either a first voltage supplied from a first power supply or a second voltage supplied from a second power supply in accordance with a control signal, and a plurality of gate transistors in each of which a gate is connected to one of the plurality of word lines, and a connection state between a storage node and a bit line is changed based on the voltage provided to the word line connected to the gate. In the semiconductor integrated circuit, a gate oxide film of each of the plurality of gate transistors is thinner than a gate oxide film of each of transistors constituting the plurality of driving circuits.

Claims (16)

1. A semiconductor integrated circuit, comprising:

a memory cell that includes a gate transistor;

a word line that is connected to a gate of the gate transistor;

a bit line that is connected to the memory cell; and

a driving circuit that drives the word line, and includes a transistor that has a gate oxide film thicker than a gate oxide film of the gate transistor,

wherein a range of voltage between the gate and back-gate of the gate transistor is larger than a voltage range of the bit line.

2. The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1 , wherein a voltage difference between the gate and back-gate of the gate transistor in read mode is larger than the voltage range of the bit line.

3. The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1 , further comprises:

a control circuit that controls writing data to the memory cell or reading data from the memory cell,

wherein the range of voltage between the gate and back-gate of the gate transistor is larger than a range of voltage between a power supply voltage and a ground voltage supplied to the control circuit.

4. The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 3 , wherein a gate oxide film of a transistor constituting the control circuit is thinner than the gate oxide film of the gate transistor.

5. The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 3 , wherein the driving circuit drives the word line with either a first voltage or a second voltage in accordance with a control signal, a voltage difference between the first and second voltages is larger than a voltage difference between the power supply voltage and the ground voltage supplied to the control circuit.

6. The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 5 , wherein either of the first and second voltages being higher is higher than the power supply voltage of the control circuit.

7. The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 5 , wherein either of the first and second voltages being lower is lower than the ground voltage of the control circuit.

8. The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 3 , wherein the gate oxide film of the gate transistor has substantially the same thickness as a gate oxide film of a transistor constituting the control circuit.

9. The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 8 , wherein the voltage range of the bit line has substantially the same as the range of voltage between a power supply voltage and a ground voltage supplied to the control circuit.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Nov 29, 2017
From: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
To: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 044928/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 1, 2013
From: TAKAHASHI, HIROYUKI; NATSUME, HIDETAKA
To: NEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 029737/0188 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 1, 2013
From: NEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
To: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 029737/0291 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2007-292878 · Nov 12, 2007 · national
Continuity (3)
Continuation 13210949 · Aug 16, 2011
Continuation 12256653 · Oct 23, 2008
Related Publication 20130141999A1 · Jun 6, 2013