IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,585,431
Granted Patent B2
US 12,585,431 · App. 17/785,510 · Granted Mar 24, 2026

Semiconductor device and electronic device

Inventors: Yoshiyuki Kurokawa (Sagamihara, JP); Munehiro Kozuma (Atsugi, JP); Takeshi Aoki (Ebina, JP); Takuro Kanemura (Sapporo, JP)
Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
G06F7/5443G06G7/16G06N3/065G11C11/405H10B12/00H10D30/6734H10D30/6755H10D86/423H10D86/481H10D86/60H10D87/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,585,431
App. No.
17/785,510
Granted
Mar 24, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor device that has low power consumption and is capable of performing arithmetic operation is provided. The semiconductor device includes first to third circuits and first and second cells. The first cell includes a first transistor, and the second cell includes a second transistor. The first and second transistors operate in a subthreshold region. The first cell is electrically connected to the first circuit, the first cell is electrically connected to the second and third circuits, and the second cell is electrically connected to the second and third circuits. The first cell sets current flowing from the first circuit to the first transistor to a first current, and the second cell sets current flowing from the second circuit to the second transistor to a second current. At this time, a potential corresponding to the second current is input to the first cell. Then, a sensor included in the third circuit supplies a third current to change a potential of the second wiring, whereby the first cell outputs a fourth current corresponding to the first current and the amount of change in the potential.

Claims (78)

1 . A semiconductor device comprising:

a first circuit, a second circuit, a third circuit, a first cell, a second cell, a first wiring, and a second wiring,

wherein the first cell comprises a first transistor,

wherein the second cell comprises a second transistor,

wherein the third circuit comprises a sensor and a third transistor,

wherein the first cell is electrically connected to the first circuit through the first wiring,

wherein the first cell is electrically connected to the second wiring,

wherein the second cell is electrically connected to the second wiring,

wherein the sensor is electrically connected to a first terminal of the third transistor,

wherein a second terminal of the third transistor is electrically connected to the second wiring,

wherein the first circuit is configured to supply a first current to the first cell through the first wiring,

wherein the second circuit is configured to supply a second current to the second wiring,

wherein the sensor is configured to perform sensing and outputting a third current corresponding to a result of the sensing,

wherein the third circuit is configured to supply the third current to the second wiring when the third transistor is in an on state,

wherein the first cell is configured to set an amount of current flowing between a first terminal and a second terminal of the first transistor to an amount of the first current by retaining a potential corresponding to the first current in a gate of the first transistor, and

wherein the second cell is configured to set an amount of current flowing between a first terminal and a second terminal of the second transistor to an amount of current flowing through the second wiring by retaining a potential corresponding to the current flowing through the second wiring in a gate of the second transistor.

2 . The semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,

wherein, when the third transistor is in an off state, the second circuit is configured to supply the second current to the second cell through the second wiring, and a first potential corresponding to an amount of the second current to each of the first cell and the second cell through the second wiring,

wherein the third circuit is configured to change the first potential supplied to each of the first cell and the second cell to a second potential by turning on the third transistor to supply the third current from the third circuit to the second wiring,

wherein, when the third transistor is switched from the off state to the on state, the first cell is configured to change the amount of the first current flowing between the first terminal and the second terminal of the first transistor to an amount of fourth current corresponding to a difference between the first potential and the second potential,

wherein the amount of the first current and the amount of the fourth current are each in a range of current flowing when the first transistor operates in a subthreshold region, and

wherein the amount of the second current, an amount of the third current, and a sum of the amount of the second current and the amount of the third current are each in a range of current flowing when the second transistor operates in the subthreshold region.

3 . The semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first transistor and the second transistor each comprise a metal oxide in a channel formation region.

4 . The semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first circuit comprises a sixth transistor and a seventh transistor,

wherein the seventh transistor comprises a first gate and a second gate,

wherein a first terminal of the sixth transistor is electrically connected to the first wiring, and

wherein a second terminal of the sixth transistor is electrically connected to a first terminal of the seventh transistor, the first gate of the seventh transistor, and the second gate of the seventh transistor.

5 . The semiconductor device according to claim 4 ,

wherein the sixth transistor and the seventh transistor each comprise a metal oxide in a channel formation region.

6 . The semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the sensor comprises a photodiode.

7 . An electronic device comprising:

the semiconductor device according to claim 1 and a housing,

wherein the semiconductor device is configured to perform product-sum operation.

8 . A semiconductor device comprising:

a first circuit, a second circuit, a third circuit, a first cell, a second cell, a first wiring, and a second wiring,

wherein the first cell comprises a first transistor, a fourth transistor, and a first capacitor,

wherein the second cell comprises a second transistor, a fifth transistor, and a second capacitor,

wherein the third circuit comprises a sensor and a third transistor,

wherein the first circuit is electrically connected to the first wiring,

wherein the second circuit is electrically connected to the second wiring,

wherein the third circuit is electrically connected to the second wiring,

wherein a first terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to a first terminal of the fourth transistor and the first wiring,

wherein a gate of the first transistor is electrically connected to a second terminal of the fourth transistor and a first terminal of the first capacitor,

wherein a second terminal of the first capacitor is electrically connected to the second wiring,

wherein a first terminal of the second transistor is electrically connected to a first terminal of the fifth transistor and the second wiring,

wherein a gate of the second transistor is electrically connected to a second terminal of the fifth transistor and a first terminal of the second capacitor,

wherein a second terminal of the second capacitor is electrically connected to the second wiring,

wherein the sensor is electrically connected to a first terminal of the third transistor,

wherein a second terminal of the third transistor is electrically connected to the second wiring,

wherein the first circuit is configured to supply a first current to the first cell through the first wiring,

wherein the second circuit is configured to supply a second current to the second wiring,

wherein the sensor is configured to perform sensing and outputting a third current corresponding to a result of the sensing,

wherein the third circuit is configured to supply the third current to the second wiring when the third transistor is in an on state,

wherein the first cell is configured to set an amount of current flowing between the first terminal and a second terminal of the first transistor to an amount of the first current by retaining a potential corresponding to the first current in the gate of the first transistor, and

wherein the second cell is configured to set an amount of current flowing between the first terminal and a second terminal of the second transistor to an amount of current flowing through the second wiring by retaining a potential corresponding to the current flowing through the second wiring in the gate of the second transistor.

9 . The semiconductor device according to claim 8 ,

wherein, when the third transistor is in an off state, the second circuit is configured to supply the second current to the first terminal of the second transistor through the second wiring, and configured to supply a first potential corresponding to an amount of the second current to each of the second terminal of the first capacitor and the second terminal of the second capacitor through the second wiring,

wherein the third circuit is configured to change the first potential supplied to each of the second terminal of the first capacitor and the second terminal of the second capacitor to a second potential by turning on the third transistor to supply the third current from the third circuit to the second wiring,

wherein, when the third transistor is switched from the off state to the on state, the first cell is configured to change the amount of the first current flowing between the first terminal and the second terminal of the first transistor to an amount of fourth current corresponding to a difference between the first potential and the second potential,

wherein the amount of the first current and the amount of the fourth current are each in a range of current flowing when the first transistor operates in a subthreshold region, and

wherein the amount of the second current, an amount of the third current, and a sum of the amount of the second current and the amount of the third current are each in a range of current flowing when the second transistor operates in the subthreshold region.

10 . The semiconductor device according to claim 8 ,

wherein the first transistor, the second transistor, the fourth transistor, and the fifth transistor each comprise a metal oxide in a channel formation region.

11 . The semiconductor device according to claim 8 ,

wherein the first circuit comprises a sixth transistor and a seventh transistor,

wherein the seventh transistor comprises a first gate and a second gate,

wherein a first terminal of the sixth transistor is electrically connected to the first wiring, and

wherein a second terminal of the sixth transistor is electrically connected to a first terminal of the seventh transistor, the first gate of the seventh transistor, and the second gate of the seventh transistor.

12 . The semiconductor device according to claim 11 ,

wherein the sixth transistor and the seventh transistor each comprise a metal oxide in a channel formation region.

13 . The semiconductor device according to claim 8 ,

wherein the sensor comprises a photodiode.

14 . An electronic device comprising:

the semiconductor device according to claim 4 and a housing,

wherein the semiconductor device is configured to perform product-sum operation.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 15, 2022
From: KUROKAWA, YOSHIYUKI; KOZUMA, MUNEHIRO; AOKI, TAKESHI; KANEMURA, TAKURO
To: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 060211/0108 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2019-239364 · Dec 27, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230049977A1 · Feb 16, 2023
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