Integrated circuit with temperature-controlled component
First Claim
1. An integrated circuit comprising a circuit component of the integrated circuit and a heating component thermally coupled together and relatively thermally isolated from other parts of the integrated circuit, and a control circuit for controlling the heating component for heating the circuit component to a temperature greater than a maximum operating temperature of said other parts of the integrated circuit.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An integrated circuit has a circuit component and a heating component thermally coupled together in a region thermally isolated from other parts of the integrated circuit. The thermal isolation can be provided by a bridge over a cavity in the substrate or caps over a thin substrate. A control circuit, which may be responsive to a sensing component thermally coupled to the heating component, controls the heating component to heat the circuit component to a temperature greater than that of the other parts of the integrated circuit, to control a temperature-dependent characteristic of the circuit component. The circuit component can for example be a resistor whose resistance is precisely determined and/or adjusted via the control circuit.
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Citations
24 Claims
- 1. An integrated circuit comprising a circuit component of the integrated circuit and a heating component thermally coupled together and relatively thermally isolated from other parts of the integrated circuit, and a control circuit for controlling the heating component for heating the circuit component to a temperature greater than a maximum operating temperature of said other parts of the integrated circuit.
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13. A method of controlling a temperature-dependent characteristic of a circuit component of an integrated circuit, comprising the steps of:
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thermally coupling the circuit component to a heating component and relatively thermally isolating the thermally coupled components from other parts of the integrated circuit; and
controlling the heating component to heat the thermally coupled components to a temperature greater than a maximum operating temperature of said other parts of the integrated circuit. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An integrated circuit comprising:
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a substrate including a cavity in the substrate and a bridge over the cavity;
a circuit component of the integrated circuit on the bridge whereby it is relatively thermally isolated from other parts of the integrated circuit not on the bridge; and
a heating component on the bridge, the heating component and the circuit component being relatively thermally coupled together, whereby the circuit component can be heated by the heating component to a temperature greater than a temperature of said other parts of the integrated circuit. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. An integrated circuit comprising:
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a substrate having a region having caps providing relative thermal isolation of said region from other parts of the substrate;
a circuit component of the integrated circuit in said region whereby it is relatively thermally isolated from other parts of the integrated circuit not in said region; and
a heating component in said region, the heating component and the circuit component being relatively thermally coupled together, whereby the circuit component can be heated by the heating component to a temperature greater than a temperature of said other parts of the integrated circuit. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. A method of making an integrated circuit having a substrate with a region having caps providing relative thermal isolation of said region from other parts of the substrate, comprising the steps of:
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providing a heating component and a circuit component of the integrated circuit in said region of a first wafer;
etching an underside of a cap in a second wafer;
contacting the first and second wafers to provide the cap over said region;
backside grinding the first wafer to produce a relatively thin substrate in said region;
etching an underside of a second cap in a third wafer; and
contacting the first and third wafers to provide the second cap under said region.
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Specification