# US 10,121,519 B2 · Semiconductor device and control method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,121,519 B2 - Document ID: US10121519B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/694,842 - Filed: 2017-09-03 - Published: 2018-10-04 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-29 - Assignees: Toshiba Memory Corporation - Applicants: Toshiba Memory Corporation - Inventors: Toyokazu Eguchi; Hajime Matsumoto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10121519B2 ## CPC - G11C 5/14: Power supply arrangements {, e.g. power down, chip selection or deselection, layout of wirings or power grids, or multiple supply levels} - G05F 1/59: including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load - G11C 7/04: with means for avoiding disturbances due to temperature effects - G11C 5/147: {Voltage reference generators, voltage or current regulators; Internally lowered supply levels; Compensation for voltage drops (G11C5/141 takes precedence)} - G11C 7/1051: {Data output circuits, e.g. read-out amplifiers, data output buffers, data output registers, data output level conversion circuits} - G11C 7/1096: {Write circuits, e.g. I/O line write drivers} - G11C 11/4074: Power supply or voltage generation circuits, e.g. bias voltage generators, substrate voltage generators, back-up power, power control circuits - G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B) - G05F: SYSTEMS FOR REGULATING ELECTRIC OR MAGNETIC VARIABLES ## Abstract A semiconductor device includes a connector configured for connection to a host, a power circuit supplied with a first voltage from the host via the connector, the power circuit including first and second channels configured to generate second and third voltages, respectively, from the first voltage, a semiconductor memory supplied with the second voltage via the first channel, and a controller for the semiconductor memory, supplied with the third voltage via the second channel. When the first voltage is less than a first threshold, the power circuit turns off the first channel and the second channel. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semiconductor device comprising: a connector configured for connection to a host; a power circuit supplied with a first voltage from the host via the connector, the power circuit including first and second channels configured to generate second and third voltages, respectively, from the first voltage; a semiconductor memory supplied with the second voltage via the first channel; and a controller for the semiconductor memory, supplied with the third voltage via the second channel, wherein when the first voltage is less than a first threshold, the power circuit turns off the first channel and the second channel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the power circuit includes a switch to which the first voltage is supplied and from which the first voltage is supplied to the first and second channels. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the power circuit turns off the switch when the second voltage is less than a second threshold and the third voltage is less than a third threshold. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the power circuit further includes a first register that stores a first value indicating whether or not the second voltage is less than the second threshold, and a second register that stores a second value indicating whether or not the third voltage is less than the third threshold. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the power circuit further includes a control circuit configured to control the first and second channels, and the control circuit is configured to turn off the first and second channels based on the values stored in the first and second registers. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein the control circuit is configured to monitor the first and second registers at periodic intervals. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the first channel includes a DC-DC converter to generate the second voltage from the first voltage and the second channel includes a DC-DC converter to generate the third voltage from the first voltage. ### Claim 8 A method of controlling a semiconductor device including a power circuit supplied with a first voltage from a host, the power circuit including first and second channels, a semiconductor memory, and a controller for the semiconductor memory, the method comprising: generating a second voltage from the first voltage in the first channel; generating a third voltage from the first voltage in the second channel; supplying the generated second voltage to the semiconductor memory; supplying the generated third voltage to the controller; and upon detecting that the first voltage is less than a first threshold, turning off the first and second channels. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, further comprising: supplying the first voltage to the first and second channels through a switch. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, further comprising: turning off the switch when the generated second voltage is less than a second threshold and the generated third voltage is less than a third threshold. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, further comprising: storing a first value indicating whether or not the second voltage is less than the second threshold in a first register; and storing a second value indicating whether or not the third voltage is less than the third threshold in a second register. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein the first and second channels are turned off based on the values stored in the first and second registers. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, further comprising: monitoring the first and second registers at periodic intervals. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the first channel includes a DC-DC converter that generates the second voltage from the first voltage and the second channel includes a DC-DC converter that generates the third voltage from the first voltage. ### Claim 15 A semiconductor device comprising: a connector configured for connection to a host; a switch supplied with a first voltage from the host via the connector; a power circuit including first and second channels configured to generate second and third voltages, respectively, from the first voltage output by the switch; a semiconductor memory supplied with the second voltage via the first channel; and a controller for the semiconductor memory, supplied with the third voltage via the second channel, wherein when the first voltage is less than a first threshold, the power circuit turns off the first channel and the second channel. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein the power circuit turns off the switch when the second voltage is less than a second threshold and the third voltage is less than a third threshold. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein the power circuit further includes a first register that stores a first value indicating whether or not the second voltage is less than the second threshold, and a second register that stores a second value indicating whether or not the third voltage is less than the third threshold. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein the power circuit further includes a control circuit configured to control the first and second channels, and the control circuit is configured to turn off the first and second channels based on the values stored in the first and second registers. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The semiconductor device according to claim 18, wherein the control circuit is configured to monitor the first and second registers at periodic intervals. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein the first channel includes a DC-DC converter to generate the second voltage from the first voltage and the second channel includes a DC-DC converter to generate the third voltage from the first voltage.