TEMPERATURE CONTROL OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES USING POWER FOLLOWING FEEDBACK

• US 20020050833A1
• Filed: 07/14/1999
• Published: 05/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Design Incorporated (COHU Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delta Design Incorporated (COHU Incorporated)
• Inventors: JONES, THOMAS P., TURNER, JONATHAN E., MALINOSKI, MARK F.
• Granted Patent: US 6,489,793 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/760
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/287 Procedures; Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2874 related to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/20 with sensing elements having variation of electric or magnetic properties with change of temperature G05D23/13 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/2401 using a heating element as a sensing element
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/34 Arrangements for cooling, heating, ventilating or temperature compensation ; Temperature sensing arrangements thermal treatment apparatus H01L21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

A method for controlling a device temperature measures a parameter related to device power consumption and utilizes the parameter to control the device temperature. This can be achieved with a system including a heat exchanger, a power monitor, and a circuit which controls the temperature setting of the heat exchanger. The circuit uses as inputs the power level, heat exchanger temperature, and set point. The system thus eliminates the need for temperature sensing devices in or connected to a chip, responds to the temperature of the device and not the package, can be used for high volume chip manufacturing, does not require significant surface area of a device for temperature sensing, and eliminates the need for chip power profiles. Significantly, the system allows a set point to be maintained with minimal overshoot or undershoot.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a temperature of a device, the method comprising:

measuring a parameter other than the temperature of the device, wherein the parameter is related to power consumption by the device, the relevant power consumption being the power which is consumed by the device through power connections as opposed to signal connections; and

utilizing the measured parameter in controlling the temperature of the device, wherein the measuring of the parameter and the controlling of the temperature occur contemporaneously.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring the parameter related to power consumption by the device comprises monitoring at least a partial power usage of the device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring the parameter related to power consumption by the device comprises monitoring a power supply which supplies power to the device and measuring a voltage and a current from the power supply.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring the parameter related to power consumption by the device comprises monitoring a change in instantaneous power consumption of the device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein monitoring the at least a partial power usage of the device comprises monitoring a complete power usage of the device, and wherein the monitored co power usage is utilized in controlling the temperature of the device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring the parameter related to power consumption by the device comprises:

producing a signal representing a first current usage of the device;

producing a signal representing a first voltage corresponding to the first current usage of the device; and

multiplying the signal representing the first current usage with the signal representing the first voltage to produce a signal representing a first power usage of the device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein measuring the parameter related to power consumption by the device further comprises:

producing a signal representing a second current usage of the device;

producing a signal representing a second voltage corresponding to the second current usage of the device;

multiplying the signal representing a second current usage with the signal representing a second voltage to produce a signal representing a second power usage of the device; and

adding the signal representing a first power usage of the device to the signal representing a second power usage of the device to produce a signal representing a summed power usage of the device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the temperature of the device based on the measured parameter related to power consumption by the device comprises:

utilizing a temperature forcing system; and

controlling the setting of the temperature forcing system based, at least in part, on the measured parameter related to power consumption by the device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein controlling the setting of the temperature forcing system comprises using a first equation for substantially determining the temperature of the device, and wherein the first equation is:

the temperature of the device=K_theta* P_ed+T_fs.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein controlling the setting of the temperature forcing system further comprisessing a second equation for producing a signal used to control the temperature forcing system, and wherein the second equation is:

V_tcs=d(Vsp−

((V<sub>k−

theta</sub>*V_Ped)+(V_fsst−

V_IRO)/V_alpha))/dt, and

wherein V_tcs is the signal used to control the temperature forcing system.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein measuring the parameter related to power consumption by the device further comprises:

processing the signal representing the first current usage of the device;

processing the signal representing the first voltage corresponding to the first current usage of the device; and

wherein both signals are processed before being multiplied together.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein controlling the setting of the temperature forcing system comprises using an analog circuit.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein controlling the setting of the temperature forcing system comprises performing PID control.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein measuring the real time power usage of the device comprises measuring complete power usage.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein monitoring the power consumption of the device comprises monitoring a complete power consumption of the device.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein adjusting the temperature of the temperature forcing system comprises mirroring the monitored power consumption of the device with the temperature of the temperature forcing system.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the measuring device for measuring a parameter related to power consumption by the device comprises a monitor for monitoring power usage of the device.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the monitor monitors complete power usage and the parameter related to power consumption by the device comprises the complete power usage.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the measuring device comprises;

at least one current measuring device for monitoring the current supplied to the device by one or more power supplies;

at least one voltage measuring device for monitoring the voltage supplied to the device by one or more power supplies; and

a monitoring circuit, coupled to the at least one current measuring device and to the at least one voltage measuring device, for producing a power usage signal from the monitored current and voltage; and

the thermal controller for determining a setting of the heat exchanger comprises a thermal control circuit which utilizes the following equation for estimating the temperature of the device;

the temperature of the device=K_theta*P_ed+T_fs,

wherein P_ed is the produced power usage signal.

25. The data generation system of claim 24, further comprising a monitoring circuit disposed between the programmable power supply and the data acquisition device, wherein the monitoring circuit is adapted to receive the data signal from the programmable power supply and to supply a power usage signal to the data acquisition device, and wherein the device under test is an integrated circuit.

26. The data generation system of claim 24, further comprising a computer, communicatively coupled to the data acquisition device, including a digital storage medium and a display device, wherein the computer is adapted to receive a digital power usage signal from the data acquisition device, to store information from the digital power use signal on the digital storage medium, and to display information from the digital power usage signal on the display device.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the power use signal is an analog signal and the method further comprises:

processing the continuously received data signal, before it is received at the data acquisition device, to produce a power signal which indicates the power being used by the semiconductor device under test;

supplying the power signal to the data acquisition device;

sampling the power signal by the data acquisition device; and

providing the sampled power signal from the data acquisition device to a computer.

30. The temperature control system of claim 29 wherein the thermal controller is adapted to control the heat exchanger such that the heat exchanger maintains the semiconductor device at or near a first temperature during a first test of the semiconductor device and then maintains the semiconductor device at or near a second temperature during a second test of the semiconductor device.

14. A method for calculating a real time temperature of a device, the method comprising:

measuring a real time power usage of the device, the power usage relating to power which is used by the device through one or more power connections as opposed to signal connections; and

using the measured real time power usage of the device in determining a figure which can be used for the real time temperature of the device.

16. A method for controlling a temperature of a device, in a system containing a temperature forcing system coupled to the device, the method comprising:

monitoring a power consumption of the device, the power consumption relating to power which is supplied to the device by one or more power supplies; and

adjusting a temperature of the temperature forcing system based in part on the monitored power consumption of the device; and

controlling the device temperature with the temperature forcing system.

19. A system for controlling a temperature of a device, the system comprising:

a measuring device for measuring a parameter other than the temperature of the device, wherein the parameter is related to power consumption by the device, the relevant power consumption being the power which is consumed by the device through power connections as opposed to signal connections;

a heat exchanger adapted to be coupled to the device; and

a thermal controller for determining a setting of the heat exchanger, wherein the setting is determined in part by using the measured parameter related to power consumption by the device, wherein the thermal controller is coupled to the measuring device and operates contemporaneously with it.

23. A system for controlling a temperature of a device, the system comprising:

means for measuring a parameter other than the temperature of the device, wherein the parameter is related to power consumption by the device, the relevant power consumption being the power which is consumed by the device through power connections as opposed to signal connections; and

means for controlling the temperature of the device based in part on the measured parameter related to power consumption by the device, wherein the measuring a parameter related to power consumption by the device and the controlling the temperature of the device occur contemporaneously.

24. A data generation system for use with a semiconductor device under test, the system comprising:

a programmable power supply for supplying power to the semiconductor device under test, and for supplying a data signal which contains information on the power being used by the semiconductor device under test; and

a data acquisition device, coupled to the programmable power supply, for acquiring data on the power being used by the semiconductor device under test by receiving the data signal from the programmable power supply.

27. A method of data generation for use with a semiconductor device under test, the method comprising:

continuously supplying a data signal, from a programmable power supply, wherein the data signal contains real-time information on the power being supplied by the programmable power supply to the semiconductor device under test; and

continuously receiving the data signal, from the programmable power supply, at a data acquisition device.

29. A temperature control system for use with a semiconductor device during testing, the temperature control system comprising:

a measuring device for measuring a parameter other than the temperature of the semiconductor device, wherein the parameter is related to power consumption by the semiconductor device during testing, the relevant power consumption being the power which is consumed by the semiconductor device through power connections as opposed to signal connections;

a heat exchanger adapted to be coupled to the semiconductor device;

a thermal controller for determining a setting of the heat exchanger, wherein the setting is determined in part by using the measured parameter related to power consumption by the device, wherein the thermal controller is coupled to the measuring device and operates contemporaneously in time with it; and

a test head for holding the semiconductor device during testing, wherein the test head allows testing of the semiconductor device while the semiconductor device is in conductive contact with the heat exchanger and the setting of the heat exchanger is determined by the thermal controller.