US 8,570,151 B2Granted

Semiconductor device

AssigneeSemiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.

InventorYoshifumi Tanada

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Abstract

Provided is a semiconductor device, such as a RFID tag, which receives and transmits data wirelessly and generates electric power using carrier waves, where the semiconductor device is configured to generate a desired power supply voltage even when the power of the carrier waves is insufficient. The semiconductor device comprises a storage capacitor portion formed of a plurality of capacitor portions, where the plurality of capacitor portions are charged in the state of parallel connection, and a high voltage is extracted from part of or all of the plurality of capacitor portions by interconverting the parallel connection to a series connection when a circuit in the semiconductor device is operated. Accordingly, even when the power of carrier waves is reduced a voltage that is necessary for the circuit operation can be assured.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A semiconductor device comprising:

an antenna configured to generate an AC voltage from carrier waves;
a rectifier circuit configured to generate and output a DC voltage from the AC voltage;
a function portion configured to conduct processing in response to a command included in the carrier waves;
and
a storage capacitor portion configured to store the DC voltage output from the rectifier circuit, the storage capacitor portion comprising:
a first terminal connected to the rectifier circuit and to the function portion;
a second terminal;
first to n-th capacitor elements;
and
a plurality of switches,
wherein the plurality of switches are configured to connect the first to n-th capacitor elements in parallel between the first terminal and the second terminal, in a first mode,
wherein the plurality of switches are configured to connect the first to m-th capacitor elements in series between the first terminal and the second terminal, in a second mode,
wherein n is natural number larger than 1,
wherein m is natural number larger than 1 and smaller than or equal to n,
wherein a potential of the second terminal is fixed, and
wherein a switch is connected between the first terminal and the rectifier circuit.

13 more elements

A semiconductor device comprising:

an antenna configured to generate an AC voltage from carrier waves;
a rectifier circuit configured to generate and output a DC voltage from the AC voltage;
a first function portion configured to conduct first processing in response to a first command included in the carrier waves;
a second function portion configured to conduct second processing in response to a second command included in the carrier waves;
a first storage capacitor portion configured to store the DC voltage output from the rectifier circuit, the first storage capacitor portion comprising:
a first terminal connected to the rectifier circuit and to the first function portion;
a second terminal;
first to n-th capacitor elements;
and
a plurality of switches, and
a second storage capacitor portion configured to store the DC voltage;
wherein the plurality of switches are configured to connect the first to n-th capacitor elements in parallel between the first terminal and the second terminal, in a first mode,
wherein the plurality of switches are configured to connect the first to m-th capacitor elements in series between the first terminal and the second terminal, in a second mode,
wherein the second storage capacitor portion is connected between the rectifier circuit and the second function portion,
wherein n is natural number larger than 1,
wherein m is natural number larger than 1 and smaller than or equal to n,
wherein a potential of the second terminal is fixed, and
wherein a switch is connected between the first terminal and the rectifier circuit.

15 more elements

A semiconductor device comprising:

an antenna configured to generate an AC voltage from carrier waves;
a rectifier circuit configured to generate and output a DC voltage from the AC voltage;
a first function portion configured to conduct first processing in response to a first command included in the carrier waves;
a second function portion configured to conduct second processing in response to a second command included in the carrier waves;
a first storage capacitor portion configured to store the DC voltage output from the rectifier circuit, the first storage capacitor portion comprising:
a first terminal connected to the rectifier circuit and to the first function portion;
a second terminal;
first to n-th capacitor elements;
and
a plurality of switches, and
a second storage capacitor portion configured to store the DC voltage;
wherein the plurality of switches are configured to connect the first to n-th capacitor elements in parallel between the first terminal and the second terminal, in a first mode,
wherein the plurality of switches are configured to connect the first to n-th capacitor elements in series between the first terminal and the second terminal, in a second mode,
wherein the second storage capacitor portion is connected between the rectifier circuit and the second function portion,
wherein n is natural number larger than 1,
wherein a potential of the second terminal is fixed, and
wherein a switch is connected between the first terminal and the rectifier circuit.

14 more elements

A semiconductor device comprising:

an antenna configured to generate an AC voltage from carrier waves;
a rectifier circuit configured to generate and output a DC voltage from the AC voltage;
a first function portion configured to conduct first processing in response to a first command included in the carrier waves;
a second function portion configured to conduct second processing in response to a second command included in the carrier waves;
a first storage capacitor portion configured to store the DC voltage output from the rectifier circuit, the first storage capacitor portion comprising:
a first terminal connected to the rectifier circuit and to the first function portion;
a second terminal;
first to n-th capacitor elements;
and
a plurality of switches, and
a second storage capacitor portion configured to store the DC voltage, the second storage capacitor portion comprising:
a third terminal connected to the rectifier circuit and to the second function portion;
a fourth terminal;
and
plurality of capacitor elements connected in parallel between the third terminal and the fourth terminal;
wherein the plurality of switches are configured to connect the first to n-th capacitor elements in parallel between the first terminal and the second terminal, in a first mode,
wherein the plurality of switches are configured to connect the first to m-th capacitor elements in series between the first terminal and the second terminal, in a second mode,
wherein n is natural number larger than 1,
wherein m is natural number larger than 1 and smaller than or equal to n,
wherein a potential of the second terminal is fixed, and
wherein a switch is connected between the first terminal and the rectifier circuit.

18 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/003,702Filed 31 Dec 2007
Priority: JP 2007-00207210 Jan 2007
Published: US 2008/0164978 A110 Jul 2008
Granted: 29 Oct 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

H04B 5/22
Characterised by the transmission technique; characterised by the transmission medium: capacitive coupling
H04B 5/26
Inductive coupling: using coils
H04B 5/77
Specially adapted for specific purposes: for interrogation
H04B
Transmission

Family

US 2008/0164978 A1Pre-grant publication · published 10 Jul 2008
US 8,570,151 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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