Temperature measuring device using a matrix switch, a semiconductor package and a cooling system

• US 20060075760A1
• Filed: 08/31/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Hee-Seok, Im, Yun-Hyeok, Kang, Suk-Chae
• Application Number:
  US11/217,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20060075760A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/3.700
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/34 Circuits for electrically characterising or monitoring manufacturing processes, e. g. whole test die, wafers filled with test structures, on-board-devices incorporated on each die, process control monitors or pad structures thereof, devices in scribe line switching, multiplexing, gating devices G01R19/25; process control with lithography, e.g. dose control, G03F7/20; structures for alignment control by optical means G03F7/70633
• 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

An embodiment relates to a temperature measuring device using a matrix switch, and a semiconductor package. In another embodiment a cooling system may be included. A plurality of temperature sensors may be arranged on a surface of a semiconductor device. The matrix switch may select the temperature sensors by an address method to form a circuit that includes the selected temperature sensor. A measuring unit may receive an output signal of the selected temperature sensor to calculate the temperature at the selected temperature sensor.

Claims

1. A temperature measuring device comprising:

a semiconductor device;

temperature sensors arranged on a surface of the semiconductor device;

a matrix switch to select the temperature sensors by an address to form a circuit that includes the selected temperature sensor, and to output an output signal of the selected temperature sensor; and

a measuring unit to receive the output signal and to calculate the temperature at the selected temperature sensor.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor includes:

a first metal wiring formed on the surface of the semiconductor device and being grounded, the first metal wiring having a connection projection;

an insulating layer formed on the first metal wiring such that the top of the connection projection is exposed; and

a second metal wiring formed on the insulating layer and having one portion connected to the connection projection and another portion connected to the matrix switch, the second metal wiring enabled to be opened and closed by the matrix switch.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the matrix switch includes:

row switches to couple the temperature sensors to column lines, each row switch being in a corresponding row address line and being configured to be opened and closed by a row address signal; and

column switches configured to be opened and closed by a column address signal, the column switches to output the output signal of the selected temperature sensor in a corresponding column line.

4. The device of claim 3, further comprising a signal post-processing unit formed on the semiconductor device to convert the output signal of the selected temperature sensor to an output signal that can be processed by the measuring unit.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the signal post-processing unit includes:

a filter to remove noise from the output signal of the selected temperature sensor;

an amplifier to amplify the output signal passed through the filter;

an analog/digital converter to convert the signal passed through the amplifier to a digital signal; and

a buffer to store the output signal.

6. The device of claim 4, further comprising a transmitter to transmit the output signal converted by the signal post-processing unit to the measuring unit.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the transmitter transmits the output signal converted by the signal post-processing unit to the measuring unit through a wireless communication network.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the measuring unit is a data acquisition system and is installed inside the semiconductor device.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the measuring unit is a data acquisition system and is installed outside the semiconductor device.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip or a wafer.

11. A device comprising:

a semiconductor chip having a temperature sensing unit; and

an external connection terminal electrically connected to the semiconductor chip and having a temperature output terminal to transmit an output signal output from the temperature sensing unit to outside the semiconductor chip,

wherein the temperature sensing unit includes a plurality of temperature sensors arranged on a surface of the semiconductor chip, and a matrix switch to select the temperature sensors by an address to form a closed loop that includes the selected temperature sensor, and to output an output signal of the selected temperature sensor to the temperature output terminal.

12. The device of claim 11 comprising:

a measuring unit to receive the output signal output from the selected temperature sensor to calculate the temperature at the temperature sensor; and

a controller to receive information about surface temperatures of the semiconductor chip, and to switch a specific area of the semiconductor chip to a sleep mode to cool the specific area if the surface temperature of the specific area is beyond a predetermined temperature.

13. The device of claim 12, further comprising a cooling device to cool the semiconductor package, the cooling device responsive to the controller.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the cooling device is a peltier cooler.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the cooling device is a variable speed fan.

16. A method of detecting temperatures of a semiconductor device comprising:

placing temperature sensors on a surface of the semiconductor device in a matrix configuration, each of the temperature sensors addressable by corresponding row and column addresses;

selectively connecting the temperature sensors using the row and column addresses to a measuring unit;

receiving output signals from the connected temperature sensors by the measuring unit;

converting the received output signals to temperature values; and

outputting the temperature values.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the selectively connecting includes applying a row address signal to the gate of a first transistor and applying a column address signal to the gate of a second transistor.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the temperature sensors operate using the Seebeck Effect.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein each temperature sensor comprises a first metal and a second metal different than the first metal, the first metal connected to an electrical ground and the second metal connected to the first transistor.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein a wireless transmitter intervenes between the temperature sensors and the measuring unit.