Calibration of thermal sensors for semiconductor dies

• US 20060066384A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Jain, Sandeep, Wyatt, David, Shi, Jun, Mishra, Animesh, Hsu, Pochang
• Granted Patent: US 7,356,426 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 327/378
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 15/00 Testing or calibrating of thermometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 3/005 Circuits arrangements for indicating a predetermined temperature fire detection G08B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/42 Circuits effecting compensation of thermal inertia; Circuits for predicting the stationary value of a temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2029/5002 Characteristic
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/02 Detection or location of defective auxiliary circuits, e.g. defective refresh counters
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/028 with adaption or trimming of parameters

Abstract

A thermal management system is described which may be implemented on a semiconductor die. The system may include a thermal sensor thermally coupled to the die to sense the temperature of the die and generate an output representing the sensed temperature, and an adjustable compensation circuit coupled to the thermal sensor to compensate the thermal sensor output. The adjustable compensation circuit may be applied to the thermal sensor or to a threshold.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a semiconductor die;

a thermal sensor thermally coupled to the die to sense the temperature of the die and generate an output representing the sensed temperature; and

an adjustable compensation circuit coupled to the thermal sensor to compensate the thermal sensor output.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the compensation circuit generates an adjustable threshold signal, and wherein the thermal sensor comprises a comparator to compare the thermal sensor output to the threshold signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the compensation circuit comprises a push-pull network to generate an adjustable threshold voltage and wherein the thermal sensor comprises a comparator to compare the threshold voltage to the thermal sensor output.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the push-pull network comprises a sequence of controllable transistor pull-down legs.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the compensation circuit comprises a push-pull network of the thermal sensor with a plurality of legs to adjust the effective thermal junction of the network.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the thermal sensor output comprises the junction voltage of the adjustable thermal junction.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a calibration circuit to compare the sensor output to a reference voltage and to adjust the effective thermal junction of the push-pull network based on the comparison.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the calibration circuit adjusts the effective thermal junction by alternately enabling and disabling legs of the push-pull network.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a controller on the semiconductor die to drive calibration cycles using the adjustable compensation circuit.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor die comprises a memory chip.

11. A memory system comprising:

a plurality of memory cells on a semiconductor die;

a buffer on the semiconductor die to interface between the memory cells and an external agent;

a thermal sensor thermally coupled to the semiconductor die to sense the temperature of the die and generate an output representing the sensed temperature; and

an adjustable compensation circuit coupled to the thermal sensor to compensate the thermal sensor output.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a controller coupled to the adjustable compensation circuit to drive a compensation cycle by the compensation circuit.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the compensation circuit generates an adjustable threshold signal, and wherein the thermal sensor comprises a comparator to compare the thermal sensor output to the threshold signal.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the compensation circuit comprises a push-pull network to generate an adjustable threshold voltage and wherein the thermal sensor comprises a comparator to compare the threshold voltage to the thermal sensor output.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the calibration circuit adjusts the effective thermal junction of the thermal device by alternately enabling and disabling legs of a push-pull network.

16. A computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a system memory coupled to the processor, the system memory having a semiconductor die, a thermal sensor thermally coupled to the die to sense the temperature of the die and generate an output representing the sensed temperature, and an adjustable compensation circuit coupled to the thermal sensor to compensate the thermal sensor output.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the compensation circuit comprises a circuit to generate an adjustable threshold voltage and wherein the thermal sensor comprises a comparator to compare the threshold voltage to the thermal sensor output.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the compensation circuit comprises a circuit to adjust the effective thermal junction of the network.

19. A method comprising:

coupling a thermal device integrated on a semiconductor die to a known voltage;

comparing a thermal voltage output of the thermal device to a reference voltage; and

switching pull-down legs of a push-pull network based on the comparison.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein coupling the thermal device to a known voltage comprises coupling the thermal device to a known external voltage through an external precision resistor.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein switching pull-down legs comprises switching pull-down legs of the thermal device to adjust the thermal voltage output of the thermal device.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein switching pull-down legs comprises switching pull-down legs of a reference voltage circuit to adjust the reference voltage.

23. An article comprising a machine readable medium including data that when accessed by a machine causes the machine to perform operations comprising:

coupling a thermal device integrated on a semiconductor die to a known voltage;

comparing a thermal voltage output of the thermal device to a reference voltage; and

switching pull-down legs of a push-pull network based on the comparison.

24. The article of claim 23, wherein the data causing the machine to switch pull-down legs comprises data causing the machine to perform further operations comprising switching pull-down legs of the thermal device to adjust the thermal voltage output of the thermal device.

25. The article of claim 23, wherein the data causing the machine to switch pull-down legs comprises data causing the machine to perform further operations comprising switching pull-down legs of the of a reference voltage circuit to adjust the reference voltage.