Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Norio Hattori

Junichi Kato

Seiji Yamahira

Kazuyuki Kouno

Masayoshi Nakayama

Ken Arakawa

Akira Sugimoto

A regulator circuit includes: a detection circuit, for outputting a feedback voltage in accordance with an output voltage; a reference voltage input section; a feedback voltage input section; an operational amplification circuit, for comparing a reference voltage and the feedback voltage and outputting a voltage as a comparison result; an output circuit, for supplying an output voltage in accordance with the output of the operational amplification circuit; a connection/disconnection circuit, for connecting or disconnecting the output terminal of the detection circuit and the feedback voltage input section; and a voltage setup circuit, for setting for the feedback voltage input section a predetermined voltage. In the standby state, the connection/disconnection circuit disconnects the output terminal of the detection circuit from the feedback voltage input section, and the voltage setup circuit sets a predetermined voltage for the feedback input section.

Regulator circuit

A memory cell array with a group of memory cells capable of retaining two-bit information. Each memory cell has a pair of transistors having charge storage regions, mutually connected gates, and mutually connected sources. Word lines are provided to the gates of the transistors. Bit lines are provided to the sources and drains of the transistors. A pair of the bit lines respectively connected to the drains of a pair of transistors included in a memory cell are connected to a comparison input terminal of the differential detector. An information retained in the memory cell is read based on a comparison result of current amounts inputted to the differential detector via the pair of bit lines obtained by the differential detector in a state where memory cell currents are simultaneously and independently supplied to the pair of transistors.

Non-volatile semiconductor memory device

A level shift circuit realizes a high-speed and power-saved operation particularly when the input voltage is at a low level. The level shift circuit includes a first gate voltage control circuit controlled by an inverted signal of an input signal, which is inserted between a gate of a third transistor and a second output terminal; a second gate voltage control circuit controlled by the input signal, which is inserted between a gate of a fourth transistor and a first output terminal; a first transistor; and a second transistor. When the input signal shifts from 'H' to 'L', the first transistor turns OFF, the third transistor is turned ON by the first gate voltage control circuit, and then a voltage of the first output terminal rises. The second transistor turns ON, the fourth transistor is turned OFF by the second gate voltage control circuit, and the voltage of the second output terminal goes down.

Growing community of inventors

Kyoto, Japan

Norio Hattori