Patent ID: 6845032

Claim:
A non-volatile latch circuit comprising: a ferroelectric capacitor having a first electrode, a second electrode, and a ferroelectric film disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode; a first input terminal for applying a voltage to the first electrode; an inverter element having an input portion and an output portion, the input portion being connected to the second electrode of the ferroelectric capacitor; a second input terminal for applying a voltage to the second electrode; a switching element connected between the second electrode and the second input terminal for switching the voltage applied to the second electrode; and a third input terminal for applying a voltage to the switching element to change the on/off-state thereof; the inverter element outputting a high-level voltage to the output portion when a low-level voltage, which is lower than the threshold of the inverter element, is applied to the input portion thereof, and outputting a low-level voltage to the output portion when a high-level voltage, which is higher than the threshold of the inverter element, is applied to the input portion thereof; the voltage that is generated at the second electrode by residual polarization in the ferroelectric film being higher than the threshold voltage of the inverter element when the voltage is applied to the first input terminal and the switching element is turned off.