Renesas Technology Corp.

Other

Hitachi, Ltd.

Takemi Negishi

Hiroshi Toyoshima

Atsuhiro Hayashi

Hiroaki Nambu

Kazuo Kanetani

Hideto Kazama

Takashi Uehara

The present invention provides a semiconductor integrated circuit that can perform impedance control and slew rate control independently of each other and simplify the structure of a control circuit. An output circuit comprising plural output MOSFETs connected in parallel is used, from among the plural output MOSFETs, the number of output MOSFETS to be turned on is selected by a first control means to control output impedance, and slew rate is controlled by a second control means controlling a drive signal of the output MOSFETs to be turned on.

Semiconductor integrated circuit controlling output impedance and slew rate

Disclosed herewith is a semiconductor device improved to prevent withstand voltage defects that might occur in each MOSFET used therein and a system to be designed easily and prevented from withstand voltage defects that might occur in each semiconductor used therein. The system includes the first and second input circuits, each being constituted by MOSFETs manufactured in the same process. The first input circuit receives a voltage of a first signal inputted from a first external terminal and divided by first and second resistor means while the AC component of the input signal is transmitted to the input circuit through a capacitor disposed in parallel to the first resistor means. The second input circuit receives a second input signal inputted from a second external terminal and reduced in signal amplitude so as to become smaller than that of the first input signal. The system also includes a second semiconductor device corresponding to the first input circuit and a third semiconductor device corresponding to the second input circuit.

Semiconductor device and system

A semiconductor integrated circuit device, which is intended to prevent the characteristic degradation, includes multiple limiter circuits which are laid out by being scattered across a semiconductor substrate to produce an internal power voltage of a certain voltage level. Each limiter circuit is laid out so as to have its transistor formation area located just beneath the formation area of a bump electrode which puts in an externally supplied power voltage. The scattered layout of limiter circuits avoids the concentration of current to one limiter circuit and alleviates the harmful heat-up of the limiter circuits and their periphery. The shorter wiring length from the bump electrode to the transistor results in a smaller wiring resistance, alleviating the power voltage drop on the wiring.

Semiconductor integrated circuit device with a plurality of limiter circuits

Growing community of inventors

Honjo, Japan

Takemi Negishi