Claims
- 1. A semiconductor device comprising:a plurality of data line pairs, a plurality of word lines intersecting said plurality of data line pairs, memory cells located at the intersecting points, sense amplifiers each for amplifying a difference voltage of a data line pair of said plurality of data line pairs to a first voltage in a term of an amplifying operation, and a common driving line pair for driving said sense amplifiers; wherein the voltage amplitude between said common driving line pair is made larger than the maximum value of said first voltage between the data line pair in a part of the term of the amplifying operation.
- 2. A semiconductor device according to claim 1:wherein the common driving line pair is one of a plurality of common driving line pairs and, wherein the voltage of one of said common driving line pairs is boosted by boosting capacitors.
- 3. A semiconductor device according to claim 1 further comprising:first, second and third power supply lines, and three switches connecting said first, second and third power supply lines with said common driving line pair respectively; wherein the voltage between said first and second power supply lines is larger than the voltage between said second and third power supply lines which is substantially equal to the maximum value of said first voltage between the data line pair.
- 4. A semiconductor device according to claim 3,wherein one of the voltages of the power supply lines is generated on the chip.
- 5. A semiconductor device comprising:a plurality of data lines, a plurality of word lines intersecting the plurality of data lines, memory cells located at the intersecting points, sense amplifiers each for amplifying a memory cell signal read out on each of the data lines, common driving lines for driving said sense amplifiers, and an internal voltage generator to generate a first internal voltage; wherein said first internal voltage is substantially an intermediate value between a first external voltage and a second external voltage when the difference between the first and second external voltages is larger than a first reference voltage, whereas the difference between the first internal voltage and one of the external voltages is made constant when the difference between the first and the second external voltages is larger than a second reference voltage.
- 6. A semiconductor device comprising:a plurality of data lines, a plurality of word lines intersecting the plurality of data lines, memory cells located at the intersecting points, sense amplifiers each for amplifying a memory cell signal read out on each of the data lines, and common driving lines for driving said sense amplifiers; wherein when said sense amplifiers start to operate, voltage of the data lines is varied to effectively boost an absolute value of the gate-source voltage of transistors in each of the sense amplifiers.
- 7. A semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein said voltage of the data lines is boosted by capacitors.
- 8. A semiconductor device comprising:a plurality of data lines, a plurality of word lines intersecting the plurality of data lines, memory cells located at the intersecting points, sense amplifiers each for amplifying a memory cell signal read out on each of the data lines, and common driving lines for driving said sense amplifiers; wherein said sense amplifiers operate with a voltage amplitude higher than that of the data lines and each of said sense amplifiers includes an inverter which operates with a voltage amplitude as that of the data lines.
- 9. A semiconductor device comprising:a plurality of data lines, a plurality of word lines intersecting the plurality of data lines, memory cells located at the intersecting points, sense amplifiers each for amplifying a memory cell signal read out on each of the data lines, and common driving lines for driving said sense amplifiers; wherein a threshold voltage of each of the transistors in each of the sense amplifiers is varied in accordance with the operating condition of the sense amplifiers.
- 10. A semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein said threshold voltage is varied dynamically.
- 11. A semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein said threshold voltage is varied in range including 0 V.
- 12. A semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein said threshold voltage is varied by varying a substrate voltage.
- 13. A semiconductor device comprising:a first circuit block having a plurality of circuits and being operative by a first voltage which is defined by a first potential and a second potential; and a voltage generator producing a first bias potential which is determined with reference to the first potential and a second bias potential which is determined with reference to the second potential, wherein each of the plurality of circuits includes a first MISFET with a first conduction type, a second MISFET with the first conduction type, a third MISFET with a second conduction type, and a fourth MISFET with the second conduction type which are coupled in series between the first potential and the second potential, wherein the first bias potential is supplied to the gate of the second MISFET and the second bias potential is supplied to the gate of the third MISFET, and wherein the gate of the first MISFET is prepared to receive a first signal having an amplitude that is smaller than the first voltage and the gate of the fourth MISFET is prepared to receive a second signal having an amplitude smaller than the first voltage.
- 14. A semiconductor device according to claim 13,wherein each of the plurality of circuits further includes, a first coupling node between the first MISFET and the second MISFET, a second coupling node between the third MISFET and the fourth MISFET, and a third coupling node between the second MISFET and the third MISFET, wherein the first coupling node can output a first output signal having an amplitude that is smaller than a difference voltage between the first potential and the first bias potential, wherein the second coupling node can output a second output signal having an amplitude that is smaller than a difference voltage between the second potential and the second bias potential, and wherein the third coupling node can output a third output signal having an amplitude that is larger than that of the first output signal or the second output signal.
- 15. A semiconductor device according to claim 13,wherein the channel conductance of the second MISFET is larger than that of the first MISFET, and wherein the channel conductance of the third MISFET is larger than that of the fourth MISFET.
- 16. A semiconductor device according to claim 13,wherein one of the plurality of circuits is an inverter circuit including the first, second, third, and fourth MISFETs, wherein the inverter circuit further includes a first coupling node between the first MISFET and the second MISFET, a second coupling node between the third MISFET and the fourth MISFET, and a third coupling node between the second MISFET and the third MISFET, wherein the first coupling node can output a first output signal having an amplitude that is smaller than the first voltage, wherein the second coupling node can output a second output signal having an amplitude that is smaller than the first voltage, and wherein the second coupling node can output a third output signal having an amplitude that is larger than that of the first output signal or the second output signal.
- 17. A semiconductor device according to claim 13, further comprising a second circuit block being operative by a second voltage which is smaller than the first voltage,wherein one of the plurality of circuits is an output circuit which receives a third signal with a first amplitude outputted from the second circuit block and outputs a fourth signal with a second amplitude which is larger than the first amplitude, wherein the output circuit includes a level converter circuit which receives the third signal, a first inverter circuit which receives a set of signals outputted from the level converter circuit, and a second inverter circuit which receives a set of signals outputted from the first inverter circuit and outputs the fourth signal, and wherein each of the level converter circuit, the first inverter circuit, and the second inverter circuit includes the first, second, third, and fourth MISFETs.
- 18. A semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein the first amplitude is substantially the same as the second voltage and the second amplitude is substantially the same as the first voltage.
- 19. A semiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein one of the plurality of circuits is a NAND circuit including the first, second, third, and fourth MISFETs,wherein the NAND circuit further includes a fifth MISFET with the first conduction type having a source-drain path that is coupled in parallel with the source-drain path of the first MISFET and a sixth MISFET with the second conduction type having a source-drain path that is coupled between one end of the source-drain path of the fourth MISFET and the second potential, wherein the NAND circuit further includes a set of first input nodes which are the gates of the first and fourth MISFETs, a set of second input nodes which are the gates of fifth and sixth MISFETs, a first coupling node between the first MISFET and the second MISFET, a second coupling node between third MISFET and the fourth the MISFET, and a third coupling node between the second MISFET and the third MISFET, wherein the set of first input nodes are prepared to receive the first signal and the second signal, respectively, wherein the set of second input nodes are prepared to receive a fifth signal and a sixth signal, respectively, each of the fifth and sixth signals having an amplitude that is smaller than the first voltage, wherein the first coupling node can output a first output signal having an amplitude that is smaller than the first voltage, wherein the second coupling node can output a second output signal having an amplitude that is smaller than the first voltage, and wherein the second coupling node can output a third output signal having an amplitude that is larger than that of the first output signal or the second output signal.
- 20. A semiconductor device according to claim 13,wherein one of the plurality of circuits is a tri-state output buffer circuit including a NAND circuit, a NOR circuit, and an output driver, and wherein each of the NAND circuit, the NOR circuit, and the output driver includes the first, second, third, and fourth MISFETs.
- 21. A semiconductor device according to claim 20,wherein the NAND circuit further includes a set of first input nodes which are the gates of the first and fourth MISFETs of the NAND circuit to which a set of first input signals are supplied, and a first output node from which a first output signal is outputted, wherein the NOR circuit further includes a set of second input nodes which are the gates of the first and fourth MISFETs of the NOR circuit to which a set of second input signals are supplied, and a second output node from which a second output signal is outputted, wherein the output driver further includes a set of third input nodes which are the gates of the first and fourth MISFETs of the output circuit, and a coupling node between the second and third MISFETs, wherein the first output node is coupled to one the set of third input nodes and the second output node is coupled to another one of the set of the third input nodes, and wherein the coupling node of the output driver can output a third output signal having an amplitude that is larger than that of the first output signal or the second output signal.
- 22. A semiconductor device according to claim 21,wherein the amplitude of the third output signal is substantially the same as the first voltage.
- 23. A semiconductor device according to claim 13,wherein said semiconductor device is formed on a chip, wherein one of the plurality of circuits is an input circuit which receives an input signal from an outside of the chip and includes the first, second, third, and fourth MISFETs, wherein the input circuit further includes a fifth MISFET with the first conduction type having one end of the source-drain path that is coupled to the gate of the first MISFET and having a gate that is coupled to the gate of the second MISFET, and a sixth MISFET with the second conduction type having one end of the source-drain path that is coupled to the gate of the fourth MISFET and having a gate that is coupled to the gate of the third MISFET, wherein the input circuit further includes a first coupling node between the first MISFET and the second MISFET, and a second coupling node between the third MISFET and the fourth MISFET, wherein another end of the source-drain path of the fifth MISFET and another end of the source-drain path of the sixth MISFET are coupled together and the input signal is supplied thereto, wherein the first coupling node can output a first output signal having an amplitude that is smaller than a difference voltage between the first potential and the first bias potential, and wherein the second coupling node can output a second output signal having an amplitude that is smaller than a difference voltage between the second potential and the second bias potential.
- 24. A semiconductor device according to claim 23, wherein the amplitude of the input signal is substantially the same as the first voltage.
- 25. A semiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein the first potential is higher than the second potential, the first bias potential is lower than the first potential, and the second bias potential is higher than the second potential.
- 26. A semiconductor device according to claim 25,wherein the first potential has a first changing rate according to the variation of the first voltage and the second potential has a second changing rate according to the variation of the first voltage, wherein when the first voltage is in a first predetermined voltage range, the first bias potential has a third changing rate according to the variation of the first voltage and the second bias potential has a fourth changing rate according to the variation of the first voltage, and wherein the third changing rate is larger than the fourth changing rate.
- 27. A semiconductor device according to claim 26,wherein the first changing rate is larger than the second changing rate, and wherein the third changing rate is proportional to the first changing rate, and the fourth changing rate is proportional to the second changing rate.
- 28. A semiconductor device according to claim 27,wherein the third changing rate is substantially equal to the first changing rate, and the fourth changing rate is substantially equal to the second changing rate.
- 29. A semiconductor device according to claim 28, further comprising a second circuit block being operative by a second voltage which is smaller than the first voltage,wherein a thickness of a gate insulator layer of said MISFETs in said first circuit block is substantially the same as that of MISFETs included in said second circuit block.
- 30. A semiconductor device according to claim 29,wherein the first conduction type is a P-channel and the second conduction type is an N-channel, and wherein said semiconductor device is a microprocessor LSI in a chip.
- 31. A semiconductor device according to claim 26,wherein when the first voltage is in a second predetermined voltage range which is larger than the first predetermined voltage range, the first bias potential has a fifth changing rate according to the variation of the first voltage and the second bias potential has a sixth changing rate according to the variation of the first voltage, and wherein the fifth changing rate is smaller than the third changing rate and sixth changing rate is larger than the fourth changing rate.
- 32. A semiconductor device according to claim 31, wherein both the fifth and sixth changing rates are half of the first changing rate.
- 33. A semiconductor device according to claim 31, wherein the second predetermined voltage range is an aging operation voltage range for said semiconductor device.
- 34. A semiconductor device according to claim 33, wherein the first conduction type is a P-channel and the second conduction type is an N-channel.
- 35. A semiconductor device according to claim 34, further comprising a second circuit block being operative by a second voltage which is smaller than the first voltage,wherein a thickness of a gate insulator layer of said MISFETs in said first circuit block is substantially the same as that of MISFETs included in said second circuit block.
- 36. A semiconductor device according to claim 35, wherein said semiconductor device is a microprocessor LSI in a chip.
- 37. A semiconductor device according to claim 14, wherein the first conduction type is a P-channel and the second conduction type is an N-channel.
- 38. A semiconductor device according to claim 14, further comprising a second circuit block being operative by a second voltage which is smaller than the first voltage,wherein a thickness of a gate insulator layer of said MISFETs in said first circuit block is substantially the same as that of MISFETs included in said second circuit block.
- 39. A semiconductor device according to claim 14, further comprising a second circuit block being operative by a second voltage which is smaller than the first voltage,wherein said semiconductor device is a microprocessor LSI chip, and wherein the second circuit block is an internal circuit block and the first circuit block is an interface circuit block between the internal circuit and an outside of the microprocessor LSI chip.
- 40. A semiconductor device according to claim 14, wherein said semiconductor device is a dynamic random access memory chip.
- 41. A semiconductor device according to claim 14, further comprising a second circuit block being operative by a second voltage which is smaller than the first voltage,wherein said semiconductor device is a microprocessor LSI chip, wherein a thickness of a gate insulator layer of said MISFETs in said first circuit block is substantially the same as that of MISFETs included in said second circuit block, and wherein the first voltage is an external voltage supplied from an outside of the microprocessor LSI chip.
- 42. A semiconductor device comprising:a first circuit block being operative by a first voltage; and a second circuit block being operative by a second voltage which is larger than the first voltage and is defined by a first potential and a second potential, wherein said second circuit block includes an output circuit which receives a first signal outputted from the first circuit block and outputs a second signal having an amplitude that is larger than that of the first signal, wherein the output circuit further includes a level converter circuit which receives the first signal, a first inverter circuit, and a second inverter circuit, wherein the level converter circuit includes a 1st MISFET, a 2nd MISFET, a 3rd MISFET, and a 4th MISFET which are coupled in series between the first potential and the second potential, wherein the level converter circuit includes a 5th MISFET, a 6th MISFET, a 7th MISFET, and an 8th MISFET which are coupled in series between the first potential and the second potential, wherein the level converter circuit includes a first coupling node between the 5th MISFET and the 6th MISFET and a second coupling node between the 7th MISFET and the 8th MISFET, wherein the gates and drains of the 1st and the 5th MISFETs are cross-coupled together, wherein the first signal is supplied to the gate of the 4th MISFET and inverted the first signal is supplied to the gate of the 8th MISFET, wherein the first inverter circuit includes a 9th MISFET, a 10th MISFET, an 11th MISFET, and a 12th MISFET which are coupled in series between the first potential and the second potential, wherein the first inverter circuit further includes a third coupling node between the 9th MISFET and the 10th MISFET and a fourth coupling node between the 11th MISFET and the 12th MISFET, wherein the gate of the 9th MISFET is coupled to the first coupling node and the gate of the 12th MISFET is coupled to the second coupling node, wherein the second inverter circuit includes a 13th MISFET, a 14th MISFET, a 15th MISFET, and a 16th MISFET which are coupled in series between the first potential and the second potential, wherein the second inverter circuit further includes a fifth coupling node between the 14th MISFET and the 15th MISFET, wherein the gate of the 13th MISFET is coupled to a third coupling node and the gate of the 16th MISFET is coupled to the fourth coupling node, and wherein the fifth coupling node can output the second signal.
- 43. A semiconductor device according to claim 42, further comprising a voltage generator producing a first bias potential which is determined with reference to the first potential and a second bias potential which is determined with reference to the second potential,wherein the first bias potential is supplied to the gates of the 2nd, 6th, 10th, and 14th MISFETs and the second bias potential is supplied to the gates of the 3rd, 7th, 11th, and 15th MISFETs.
- 44. A semiconductor device according to claim 43,wherein the channel conductance of the 2nd, 6th, 10th, and 14th MISFETs is larger than that of the 1st, 5th, 9th, and 13th MISFETs, and wherein the channel conductance of the 3rd, 7th, 11th, and 15th MISFETs is larger than that of the 4th, 8th, 12th and 16th MISFETs.
- 45. A semiconductor device according to claim 43, wherein the amplitude of the first signal is substantially equal to the first voltage and an amplitude of the second signal is substantially equal to the second voltage.
- 46. A semiconductor device according to claim 43,wherein the first potential is higher than the second potential, the first bias potential is lower than the first potential, and the second bias potential is higher than the second potential, wherein the first potential has a first changing rate according to the variation of the second voltage and the second potential has a second changing rate according to the variation of the second voltage, wherein when the second voltage is in a first predetermined voltage range, the first bias potential has a third changing rate according to the variation of the second voltage and the second bias potential has a fourth changing rate according to the variation of the second voltage, and wherein the third changing rate is larger than the fourth changing rate.
- 47. A semiconductor device according to claim 46,wherein when the second voltage is in a second predetermined voltage range which is larger than the first predetermined voltage range, the first bias potential has a fifth changing rate according to the variation of the second voltage and the second bias potential has a sixth changing rate according to the variation of the second voltage, and wherein the fifth changing rate is smaller than the third changing rate and sixth changing rate is larger than the fourth changing rate.
- 48. A semiconductor device according to claim 47, wherein both the fifth and sixth changing rates are half of the first changing rate.
- 49. A semiconductor device according to claim 47, wherein the second operating voltage range is an aging operating voltage range for said semiconductor device.
- 50. A semiconductor device according to claim 43, wherein the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, 9th, 10th, 13th, and 14th MISFETs are P-channel MISFETs and the 3rd, 4th, 7th, 8th, 11th, 12th, 15th, and 16th MISFETs are N-channel MISFETs.
- 51. A semiconductor device according to claim 50, wherein a thickness of a gate insulator layer of MISFETs in said first circuit block is substantially the same as those of said MISFETs included in said second circuit block.
- 52. A semiconductor device according to claim 51,wherein said semiconductor device is a microprocessor LSI chip, and wherein the first circuit block is an internal circuit block and the second circuit block is an interface circuit block between the internal circuit and an outside of the microprocessor LSI chip.
- 53. A semiconductor device comprising:a first node and a second node for receiving a first voltage defined by a first potential and a second potential; a first circuit block including a first gate circuit having a first MISFET with a first conduction type, a second MISFET with the first conduction type, a third MISFET with a second conduction type, and a fourth MISFET with the second conduction type which are coupled in series between the first node and the second node; a bias voltage supplying circuit having a third node coupled to the gate of the second MISFET and a fourth node coupled to the gate of the third MISFET, wherein the bias voltage supplying circuit supplies a first bias potential to the third node and a second bias potential to the fourth node, and wherein the gate of the first MISFET is prepared to receive a first signal having an amplitude that is smaller than the first voltage and the gate of the fourth MISFET is prepared to receive a second signal having an amplitude that is smaller than the first voltage.
- 54. A semiconductor device according to claim 53,wherein the first potential is higher than the second potential, the first bias potential is lower than the first potential, and the second bias potential is higher than the second potential, and wherein when the first voltage is varied in a predetermined voltage range, the changing rate of the second bias potential is smaller than that of the first potential.
- 55. A semiconductor device according to claim 54, further comprising:a fifth node and a sixth node for receiving a second voltage defined by a voltage between the second potential and a fifth potential which is higher than the second potential; and a second circuit block, including a second gate circuit having a fifth MISFET with the first conduction type and a sixth MISFET with the second conduction type which are coupled in series between the fifth node and the sixth node and having a logical amplitude of the second voltage, wherein the second voltage is smaller than the first voltage, and wherein a thickness of a gate insulator layer of each of the first to sixth MISFETs is substantially the same.
- 56. A semiconductor device according to claim 55, wherein the first conduction type is a P-type and the second conduction type is an N-type.
- 57. A semiconductor device according to claim 53,wherein said semiconductor device is formed on a chip, and wherein the first gate circuit is a tri-state output buffer circuit and outputs one of the first potential, the second potential, and a floating state to an outside of the chip from a coupling node between the second MISFET and the third MISFET.
- 58. A semiconductor device according to claim 57, wherein the first conduction type is a P-type and the second conduction type is an N-type.
- 59. A semiconductor device according to claim 53, wherein the first conduction type is a P-type and the second conduction type is an N-type.
- 60. A semiconductor device comprising:a plurality of memory cells located at the intersection points of a plurality of data line pairs and a plurality of word lines; a plurality of sense amplifiers each for amplifying a difference voltage of a corresponding data line pair of said plurality of data line pairs to a first voltage; a first driving line coupled to first power receiving nodes of said plurality of sense amplifiers; a second driving line coupled to second power receiving nodes of said plurality of sense amplifiers; a precharge circuit for precharging said plurality of data line pairs, said first driving line, and said second driving line to a precharge voltage; a first voltage supplying circuit for supplying the first voltage; a second voltage supplying circuit for supplying a second voltage which is larger than the first voltage; and a switching circuit inserted between said first and second driving lines and said first and second voltage supplying circuits; wherein when said plurality of sense amplifiers begin an amplifying operation, said switching circuit has: a first period for making the voltage between said first and second driving lines larger than the first voltage by making a current path between said second voltage supplying circuit and said first and second driving lines which have been at the precharge voltage; and a second period for making the voltage between said first and second driving lines the first voltage by making a current path between said first voltage supplying circuit and said first and second driving lines after the first period.
- 61. A semiconductor device according to claim 60,wherein said switching circuit includes a first MISFET having a source-drain path coupled between a first node and said first driving line, a second MISFET having a source-drain path coupled between a second node and said first driving line, and a third MISFET having a source-drain path coupled between a third node and said second driving line, and wherein the first voltage is supplied between the second node and the third node and the second voltage is supplied between the first node and third node.
- 62. A semiconductor device according to claim 61,wherein each of said plurality of memory cells has a MISFET and a capacitor, wherein each of said plurality of sense amplifiers includes a p-channel MISFET pair cross-coupled with each other and an n-channel MISFET pair cross-coupled with each other, and wherein the first node is coupled with a first potential, the second node is coupled with a second potential lower than the first potential, and the third node is coupled with a ground potential lower than the second potential.
- 63. A semiconductor device according to claim 62, wherein the precharge voltage is half of the first voltage.
- 64. A semiconductor device according to claim 60,wherein said semiconductor device is formed on a semiconductor chip, wherein each of said plurality of memory cells has a MISFET and a capacitor, wherein each of said plurality of sense amplifiers includes a p-channel MISFET pair cross-coupled with each other and an n-channel MISFET pair cross-coupled with each other, wherein the precharge voltage is half of the first voltage, and wherein said first voltage supplying circuit includes a voltage generating circuit which receives an operating voltage larger than the first voltage from the outside of the semiconductor chip and generates the first voltage.
- 65. A semiconductor device according to claim 60,wherein said semiconductor device is formed on a semiconductor chip, wherein each of said plurality of memory cells has a MISFET and a capacitor, wherein each of said plurality of sense amplifiers includes a p-channel MISFET pair cross-coupled with each other and an n-channel MISFET pair cross-coupled with each other, and wherein said second voltage supplying circuit includes a voltage generating circuit which receives an operating voltage smaller than the second voltage from the outside of the semiconductor chip and generates the second voltage.
- 66. A semiconductor device according to claim 60,wherein said switching circuit includes a first switch coupled between a first node and said first driving line, a second switch coupled between a second node and said first driving line, a third switch coupled between a third node and said second driving line, and a fourth switch coupled between a fourth node and said second driving line, and wherein the first voltage is supplied between the second node and third node and the second voltage is supplied between the first node and the fourth node.
- 67. A semiconductor device according to claim 66,wherein each of said plurality of memory cells includes a MISFET and a capacitor, wherein each of said plurality of sense amplifiers includes a p-channel MISFET pair cross-coupled with each other and an n-channel MISFET pair cross-coupled with each other, and wherein the first node is coupled with a first potential, the second node is coupled with a second potential lower than the first potential, the third node is coupled with a third potential lower than the second potential, and the fourth node is coupled with a ground potential lower than the third potential.
- 68. A semiconductor device according to claim 66,wherein each of said plurality of memory cells includes a MISFET and a capacitor, wherein each of said plurality of sense amplifiers includes a p-channel MISFET pair cross-coupled with each other and an n-channel MISFET pair cross-coupled with each other, and wherein the first node is coupled with a first potential, the second node is coupled with a second potential lower than the first potential, the third node is coupled with a ground potential lower than the second potential, and the fourth node is coupled with a negative potential lower than the ground potential.
- 69. A semiconductor device comprising:a plurality of memory cells located at the intersecting points of a plurality of data lines and a plurality of word lines; an X-decoder for selecting one of the plurality of word lines, driving the selected word line to a first potential, and driving non-selected word lines of the plurality of word lines to a second potential, a plurality of sense amplifiers each coupled to a corresponding data line of said plurality of data lines and for amplifying the corresponding data line to one of a third potential and a fourth potential; a first driving line coupled to first power receiving nodes of said plurality of sense amplifiers; a second driving line coupled to second power receiving nodes of said plurality of sense amplifiers; a sense amplifier driving circuit for driving said first driving line to the third potential and driving said second driving line to the fourth potential, wherein the first potential is higher than the third potential, the third potential is higher than the fourth potential and the fourth potential is higher than the second potential.
- 70. A semiconductor device according to claim 69,wherein each of said plurality of memory cells includes a switching MISFET and a capacitor having a first electrode coupled to a source-drain path of the switching MISFET and a second electrode, and wherein the second potential is a ground potential.
- 71. A semiconductor device according to claim 70, further comprising:a plate wiring coupled to the second electrodes of said plurality of memory cells; and a plate driving circuit for driving the plate wiring to the third potential when the plurality of word lines are not selected and driving said plate wiring to a fifth potential lower than the fourth potential when one of the plurality of word lines is selected; a precharge circuit for precharging said plurality of data lines to a precharge voltage having a potential half way between the third and fourth potentials; a voltage generating circuit for generating the fourth and fifth potentials from an operating voltage higher than the fourth and fifth potentials.
- 72. A semiconductor device comprising:a voltage converter circuit having a first power receiving node coupled with an operating voltage and an output node for outputting an internal voltage; and a circuit block having a second power receiving node coupled to the output node, wherein said semiconductor device has a first operation mode and a second operation mode, wherein when the operating voltage is in a first voltage range, said voltage converter circuit supplied the internal voltage at a first voltage changing rate opposing the change of the operating voltage and at an amplitude smaller than the operating voltage in both the first and second operation modes, and wherein when the operating voltage is in a second voltage range larger than the first operating voltage range, said voltage converter circuit supplies the internal voltage at the first voltage changing rate and at an amplitude smaller than the operating voltage at the first operation mode, and the internal voltage at a second changing rate, which is positive and larger than the first voltage changing rate, opposing the change of the operating voltage in the second operation mode.
- 73. A semiconductor device according to claim 72,wherein said semiconductor device is formed on a semiconductor chip, wherein said voltage converter circuit has a node for receiving a control signal which indicate the first and second operation modes, and wherein the control signal is generated by information supplied from outside of the semiconductor chip.
- 74. A semiconductor device according to claim 73, wherein said voltage converter circuit includes:a first reference voltage circuit supplying a first reference voltage to be a standard of the first voltage changing rate, a second reference voltage circuit supplying a second reference voltage to be a standard of the second voltage changing rate, and a switching circuit for selecting one of the first reference voltage and the second reference voltage according to the control signal.
- 75. A semiconductor device according to claim 72, wherein the first voltage changing rate is smaller than that of the operating voltage.
- 76. A semiconductor device according to claim 75, wherein the first voltage changing rate is substantially zero.
- 77. A semiconductor device according to claim 72,wherein the first voltage changing rate is substantially zero, wherein the second operation mode is an aging operation mode of said semiconductor, and wherein said circuit block includes a memory circuit having a plurality of memory cells each having a MISFET and a capacitor.
- 78. A semiconductor device comprising:a plurality of dynamic memory cells each having a first MISFET with N-type and a capacitor; and a peripheral circuit for selecting one of the plurality of memory cell and read a data stored therein or write a date thereto and including a plurality of second MISFETs with N-type, a plurality of third MISFETs with N-type, a plurality of fourth MISFETs with P-type, wherein said semiconductor device is formed in a semiconductor substrate with P-type, wherein the first MISFETs of the plurality of memory cells are formed in a first semiconductor region with P-type isolated from said semiconductor substrate with P-type by a second semiconductor region with N-type, wherein the plurality of second MISFETs are formed in a third semiconductor region with P-type isolated from said semiconductor substrate with P-type by a fourth semiconductor region with N-type, wherein the plurality of third MISFETs are formed in said semiconductor substrate with P-type, wherein plurality of fourth MISFETs are formed in a fifth semiconductor region with N-type, and wherein said semiconductor substrate is coupled with a ground potential and the first semiconductor region and the third semiconductor region are coupled with a negative potential lower than the ground potential.
- 79. A semiconductor device according to claim 78, wherein the fourth semiconductor region is electrically connected to the fifth semiconductor region.
- 80. A semiconductor device according to claim 79, wherein the second, fourth, and fifth semiconductor regions are coupled with a positive bias potential.
- 81. A semiconductor device according to claim 79,wherein the first semiconductor region is a first P-well, wherein the second semiconductor region is a second N-well formed in the semiconductor substrate and the first P-well is formed in the second N-well, wherein the third semiconductor region is a third P-well, wherein the fourth semiconductor region is a fourth N-well formed in the semiconductor substrate and the third P-well is formed in the fourth N-well, and wherein the fifth semiconductor region is a fifth N-well formed in the semiconductor substrate.
- 82. A semiconductor device comprising:a plurality of data lines, a plurality of word lines intersecting the plurality of data lines, memory cells located at the intersecting points, CMOS sense amplifiers each for amplifying a memory cell signal read out on each of the data lines to a first potential or a second potential, a precharge circuit for precharging the plurality of data lines to a third potential which is a half of the first and second potentials, and common driving lines for driving said CMOS sense amplifiers; wherein when said CMOS sense amplifiers start to operate, voltage of the data lines is varied to effectively boost an absolute value of the gate-source voltage of transistors in each of the CMOS sense amplifiers.
- 83. A semiconductor device according to claim 82, wherein said voltage of the data lines is boosted by capacitors and wherein each of the capacitors is provided for a corresponding one of the plurality of data lines and has a first electrode and a second electrode, each of the first electrodes being connected to the corresponding one of the plurality of data lines, and the second electrodes being commonly connected to a capacitor driving line.
Priority Claims (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
63-148104 |
Jun 1988 |
JP |
|
63-222317 |
Sep 1988 |
JP |
|
1-29803 |
Feb 1989 |
JP |
|
1-66175 |
Mar 1989 |
JP |
|
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/366,869 filed Jun. 14, 1989, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,097.
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Entry |
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Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08/104508 |
Aug 1993 |
US |
Child |
09/095101 |
|
US |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
07/366869 |
Jun 1989 |
US |
Child |
08/104508 |
|
US |
Reissues (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08/104508 |
Aug 1993 |
US |
Child |
09/095101 |
|
US |