Electrical computers and digital processing systems: memory – Storage accessing and control – Control technique
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-04
2004-11-16
Sparks, Donald (Department: 2187)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: memory
Storage accessing and control
Control technique
C711S102000, C711S103000, C711S112000, C711S114000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06820179
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a semiconductor device and a data processing system, and more particularly to technologies which are effectively applied to a semiconductor device fabricated by laminating, for example, two semiconductor chips and encapsulating them with a single resin encapsulant, and to settings of identification data in a data processing system using the semiconductor device.
As one type of semiconductor device, a semiconductor device called MCP (Multi Chip Package) is known. MCP semiconductor devices having a variety of structures have been developed and manufactured, where the most pervasive one is an MCP semiconductor device which comprises two semiconductor chips that are laminated and incorporated in a single package. For example, JP-A-2-5455 (known reference
1
) discloses an MCP semiconductor device which comprises a microcomputer chip having a built-in processor unit operated in accordance with a program, and an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) chip having a built-in non-volatile storage unit as a memory chip laminated on the microcomputer chip. The two chips are encapsulated by a single resin encapsulant to complete the MCP semiconductor device.
JP-A-5-343609 discloses an MCP semiconductor device which comprises a CMOS (Complementary MOS) chip having built-in circuits mainly composed of MOSFETs (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor), and a bipolar chip having built-in circuits mainly composed of bipolar transistors. The two chips are encapsulated by a single resin encapsulant to complete the MCP semiconductor device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor device and a data processing system which offer a high level of usability.
It is an another object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor device and a data processing system in which a device address can be set with flexibility while ensuring a high reliability.
The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.
There has been an increasingly high demand for a semiconductor device which has a microcomputer chip and an EEPROM chip incorporated in a single package. The present inventors found the following challenges prior to the development of a semiconductor device which is fabricated by laminating an EEPROM chip on a microcomputer chip, and encapsulating the two chips with a single resin encapsulant.
In a microcomputer system, device identification data (device address) is set for each peripheral circuit such as a memory circuit. In the most convenient way, the device address may be set, for example, by connecting an external terminal (address pin) to a power supply voltage VCC or a ground potential VSS of the circuits on a circuit board, on which the circuits are mounted, to set a binary signal which may take a high level and a low level. However, in the MCP semiconductor device, since the address pin is connected to VCC or VSS at the time the chips are encapsulated by a single resin encapsulant, the identification data is fixed. The identification data thus fixed would cause difficulties and inconvenience in manufacturing and handling the MCP semiconductor device, e.g., manufacturing a plurality of different types of semiconductor devices by setting a plurality of different identification data in semiconductor devices having the same functions such that the semiconductor devices can be adapted to a variety of data processing systems, managing the custody of the semiconductor devices by the identification data, and mounting a semiconductor device having a correct device address in an assembling process.
The following outlines a representative aspect of the invention disclosed in the present application. A semiconductor device includes an internal circuit for performing a circuit operation corresponding to a signal inputted or outputted through an input/output interface circuit adapted to a serial bus, a non-volatile storage circuit for storing identification data, a comparator circuit for comparing internal identification data stored in the non-volatile storage circuit with external identification data included in an input signal supplied through the serial bus, and a control circuit responsive to a match detecting signal from the comparator circuit to perform a circuit operation corresponding to an input signal subsequently supplied through the serial bus to change the internal identification data in the non-volatile storage circuit.
The following outlines another representative aspect of the invention disclosed in the present application. A semiconductor device includes an internal circuit for performing a circuit operation corresponding to a signal inputted or outputted through an input/output interface circuit adapted to a serial bus, and a non-volatile storage circuit for storing identification data, wherein the internal circuit is permitted to perform an operation for changing the identification data by an input signal supplied through the serial bus when the internal state of the internal circuit transitions to a first state.
The following outlines a further representative aspect of the invention disclosed in the present application. A data processing system includes a plurality of semiconductor devices each having an internal circuit for performing a circuit operation corresponding to a signal inputted or outputted through an input/output interface circuit adapted to the serial bus, and a non-volatile storage circuit for storing identification data, wherein in each of the semiconductor devices, the identification data of each semiconductor device can be changed by an input signal supplied through the serial bus when the internal state of the internal circuit transitions to a first state.
The following outlines a further representative aspect of the invention disclosed in the present application. A semiconductor device includes an internal circuit for performing a circuit operation corresponding to a signal inputted or outputted through an input/output interface circuit adapted to a serial bus, a non-volatile storage circuit for storing identification data, a comparator circuit for comparing internal identification data stored in the non-volatile storage circuit with external identification data included in an input signal supplied through the serial bus, and a control circuit responsive to a match detecting signal from the comparator circuit to perform a circuit operation corresponding to an input signal subsequently supplied through the serial bus to change the internal identification data in the non-volatile storage circuit. Thus, the semiconductor device provides high usability and flexibility in setting a device address.
A semiconductor device includes an internal circuit for performing a circuit operation corresponding to a signal inputted or outputted through an input/output interface circuit adapted to a serial bus, and a non-volatile storage circuit for storing identification data, wherein the internal circuit is permitted to perform an operation for changing the identification data by an input signal supplied through the serial bus when the internal state of the internal circuit transitions to a first state. Thus, the semiconductor device provides high usability and flexibility in setting a device address.
A data processing system includes a plurality of semiconductor devices each having an internal circuit for performing a circuit operation corresponding to a signal inputted or outputted through an input/output interface circuit adapted to the serial bus, and a non-volatile storage circuit for storing identification data, wherein in each of the semiconductor devices, the identification data of each semiconductor device can be changed by an input signal supplied through the serial bus when the internal state of the internal circuit transitions to a first state to set a device address in the non-volatile storage circuit. C
Fujita Naoki
Ishida Toru
Kawamura Masanobu
Kobayashi Nobuharu
Momii Masato
A. Marquez, Esq. Juan Carlos
Dinh Ngoc V
Fisher Esq. Stanley P.
Hitachi Hokkai Semiconductor Ltd.
Reed Smith LLP
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