Patent attributes
A semiconductor integrated circuit with an operating voltage having an absolute value is 2.5 V or below includes circuit blocks to which operation voltage is supplied by first and second power lines and a first switching element for each circuit block. Each circuit block includes a first MOS transistor in which a leakage current flows even under a condition that a gate voltage is equal to a source voltage. Each of the first switching elements controls the leakage current flowing through a corresponding first MOS transistor of each circuit block. Also, while one of the first switching elements is controlled to reduce the leakage current flowing through the circuit block relating to one of the first switching elements, another one of the first switching elements is controlled to allow current to flow through the circuit block relating to another one of the first switching elements. In addition, current which is allowed to flow by the another one of the first switching elements is sufficient to permit the circuit block relating to another one of the first switching elements to logically operate.
