Semiconductor device, method for controlling the semiconductor device, and control program

A method for controlling a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device including a semiconductor chip,

• wherein the semiconductor chip includes on a surface thereof:
• a comparator circuit having one terminal to which a measured signal is input and the other terminal to which a reference voltage signal whose potential periodically linearly changes is input;
• a counter circuit whose count value changes in accordance with a time change of the reference voltage signal;
• and
• a latch circuit that is connected to the comparator circuit and stores the count value of the counter circuit at a timing when an output signal from the comparator circuit changes,
• wherein the counter circuit includes:
• a multiphase signal generator that shifts a phase of a reference clock signal and generates a plurality of clock signals having phases different from each other;
• and
• a plurality of flip-flop circuits that are connected to the multiphase signal generator and are continuously connected to each other, and
• wherein the plurality of flip-flop circuits include a first-stage flip-flop and second-stage and subsequent flip-flops, the first-stage flip-flop takes in an inverted signal of an output signal of a flip-flop in a final stage and each of the second-stage and subsequent flip-flops takes in an output signal of a flip-flop in a preceding stage in synchronization with each of the plurality of clock signals, and an output signal of each of the plurality of flip-flop circuits is output as a count signal of the count value,
• the method comprising:
• causing the comparator circuit to compare a black color signal that is a black pixel signal with the reference voltage signal;
• causing the latch circuit to latch a first count value that is a count value of the counter circuit in a period from start of a comparison between the black color signal and the reference voltage signal at the comparator circuit to matching between the black color signal and the reference voltage signal;
• causing the comparator circuit to compare a pixel signal that is the measured signal with the reference voltage signal;
• causing the latch circuit to latch a second count value that is a count value of the counter circuit in a period from start of a comparison between the pixel signal and the reference voltage signal at the comparator circuit to matching between the pixel signal and the reference voltage signal;
• and
• handling a difference between the second count value and the first count value as a digital signal corresponding to the pixel signal.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a control program causing a computer to execute control processing in a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device including a semiconductor chip,

• wherein the semiconductor chip includes on a surface thereof:
• a comparator circuit having one terminal to which a measured signal is input and the other terminal to which a reference voltage signal whose potential periodically linearly changes is input;
• a counter circuit whose count value changes in accordance with a time change of the reference voltage signal;
• and
• a latch circuit that is connected to the comparator circuit and stores the count value of the counter circuit at a timing when an output signal from the comparator circuit changes,
• wherein the counter circuit includes:
• a multiphase signal generator that shifts a phase of a reference clock signal and generates a plurality of clock signals having phases different from each other;
• and
• a plurality of flip-flop circuits that are connected to the multiphase signal generator and are continuously connected to each other, and
• wherein the plurality of flip-flop circuits include a first-stage flip-flop and second-stage and subsequent flip-flops, the first-stage flip-flop takes in an inverted signal of an output signal of a flip-flop in a final stage and each of the second-stage and subsequent flip-flops takes in an output signal of a flip-flop in a preceding stage in synchronization with each of the plurality of clock signals, and an output signal of each of the plurality of flip-flop circuits is output as a count signal of the count value,
• the control program causing the computer to execute the processing of:
• causing the comparator circuit to compare a black color signal that is a black pixel signal with the reference voltage signal;
• causing the latch circuit to latch a first count value that is a count value of the counter circuit in a period from start of a comparison between the black color signal and the reference voltage signal at the comparator circuit to matching between the black color signal and the reference voltage signal;
• causing the comparator circuit to compare a pixel signal that is the measured signal with the reference voltage signal;
• causing the latch circuit to latch a second count value that is a count value of the counter circuit in a period from start of a comparison between the pixel signal and the reference voltage signal at the comparator circuit to matching between the pixel signal and the reference voltage signal;
• and
• handling a difference between the second count value and the first count value as a digital signal corresponding to the pixel signal.