IP Library Granted Patent US 9,851,780
Granted Patent B2
US 9,851,780 · App. 14/829,644 · Granted Dec 26, 2017

Semiconductor device and operating method thereof

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,851,780
App. No.
14/829,644
Granted
Dec 26, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor device includes a main processor, a normally-off processor, and at least one oxide semiconductor random access memory (RAM). The normally-off processor includes at least one oxide semiconductor transistor. The main processor is connected to the normally-off processor, and a clock rate of the main processor is higher than a clock rate of the normally-off processor. The oxide semiconductor RAM is connected to the normally-off processor. An operating method of the semiconductor includes backing up data from the main processor to the normally-off processor and/or the oxide semiconductor RAM.

Claims (15)

1. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a main processor;

a normally-off processor comprising at least one oxide semiconductor transistor, wherein the main processor is connected to the normally-off processor, and a clock rate of the main processor is higher than a clock rate of the normally-off processor; and

at least one oxide semiconductor random access memory (RAM) connected to the normally-off processor, wherein the normally-off processor and the oxide semiconductor RAM are integrated in one die, and the oxide semiconductor RAM comprises a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) shared by the main processor and the normally-off processor, wherein the main processor and the normally-off processor are disposed on different dies.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the oxide semiconductor transistor comprises an indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) transistor, and the oxide semiconductor RAM comprises an IGZO RAM.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a peripheral unit connected to the main processor and the normally-off processor, wherein the peripheral unit comprises a global positioning system (GPS) unit, a wireless networking unit, or a sensor unit.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the main processor is a silicon semiconductor processor.

5. An operating method of a semiconductor device, comprising:

providing the semiconductor device of claim 1 ; and

backing up data from the main processor to the normally-off processor and/or the oxide semiconductor RAM.

6. The operating method of claim 5 , wherein the semiconductor device further comprises a peripheral unit connected to the main processor and the normally-off processor, and the operating method of the semiconductor device further comprises:

collecting data from the peripheral unit to the normally-off processor and/or updating a running program by the normally-off processor when the main processor enters a sleep mode.

7. The operating method of claim 6 , wherein the normally-off processor and the oxide semiconductor RAM are integrated in one die, the semiconductor device further comprises a high speed RAM connected to the main processor and the die of the normally-off processor and the oxide semiconductor RAM, and the operating method of the semiconductor device further comprises:

backing up data from the main processor to the normally-off processor and/or the oxide semiconductor RAM before and after the sleep mode.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 26, 2021
From: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
To: MARLIN SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITED
Reel/Frame 056991/0292 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 19, 2015
From: ZHOU, ZHIBIAO; WU, SHAO-HUI; KU, CHI-FA; LIN, CHEN-BIN
To: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
Reel/Frame 036353/0338 →