METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MONITORING INTEGRATED CIRCUIT TEMPERATURE THROUGH DETERMINISTIC PATH DELAYS
First Claim
1. An apparatus for monitoring the temperature of an integrated circuit device, comprising:
- a conductive wiring pattern formed on the integrated circuit device, extending into areas of the device to be monitored;
a deterministic signal source configured to generate a deterministic signal along said conductive wiring pattern;
one or more return paths tapped from selected locations along said conductive wiring pattern; and
a temperature change determination circuit coupled to said one or more return paths and to a reference signal taken from said deterministic signal source, said temperature change determination circuit configured to determine a delay between said reference signal and a delay signal traveling through at least a portion of said conductive wiring pattern and a corresponding one of said one or more return paths.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for monitoring the temperature of an integrated circuit device includes a conductive wiring pattern formed on the integrated circuit device, extending into areas of the device to be monitored. A deterministic signal source is configured to generate a deterministic signal along the conductive wiring pattern, with one or more return paths tapped from selected locations along the pattern. A temperature change determination circuit is coupled to the one or more return paths and to a reference signal taken from the deterministic signal source. The circuit is configured to determine a delay between the reference signal and a delay signal traveling through at least a portion of the wiring pattern and a corresponding one of the return paths.
17 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for monitoring the temperature of an integrated circuit device, comprising:
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a conductive wiring pattern formed on the integrated circuit device, extending into areas of the device to be monitored;
a deterministic signal source configured to generate a deterministic signal along said conductive wiring pattern;
one or more return paths tapped from selected locations along said conductive wiring pattern; and
a temperature change determination circuit coupled to said one or more return paths and to a reference signal taken from said deterministic signal source, said temperature change determination circuit configured to determine a delay between said reference signal and a delay signal traveling through at least a portion of said conductive wiring pattern and a corresponding one of said one or more return paths. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for monitoring the temperature of an integrated circuit device, the method comprising:
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defining a conductive wiring pattern on the integrated circuit device, extending into areas of the device to be monitored;
generating a deterministic signal along said conductive wiring pattern;
tapping one or more return paths from selected locations along said conductive wiring pattern; and
configuring a temperature change determination circuit coupled to said one or more return paths and to a reference signal taken from said deterministic signal source, said temperature change determination circuit configured to determine a delay between said reference signal and a delay signal traveling through at least a portion of said conductive wiring pattern and a corresponding one of said one or more return paths. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification