Patent ID: 9349439
Filing Date: 2016-05-24
CPC Classification: G11C,H01L

Claim Text:
1. A semiconductor device comprising a memory circuit including a memory cell having a first field-effect transistor of a first conductive type and a second field-effect transistor of a second conductive type different from the first conductive type, wherein the memory cell has: an active mode in which the first field-effect transistor is activated by a first threshold voltage and the second field-effect transistor is activated by a second threshold voltage; and a standby mode in which the first field-effect transistor is activated by a third threshold voltage higher than the first threshold voltage and the second field-effect transistor is activated by a fourth threshold voltage higher than the second threshold voltage, and when a mode is shifted from the active mode to the standby mode, a threshold voltage of the first field-effect transistor is shifted temporarily from the first threshold voltage to a fifth threshold voltage between the first threshold voltage and the third threshold voltage, and a threshold voltage of the second field-effect transistor is shifted temporarily from the second threshold voltage to a sixth threshold voltage between the second threshold voltage and the fourth threshold voltage.