ON CHIP TEMPERATURE DETECTOR, TEMPERATURE DETECTION METHOD AND REFRESH CONTROL METHOD USING THE SAME

• US 20070098041A1
• Filed: 07/21/2006
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Seo, Young-Hun
• Granted Patent: US 7,532,056 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/170
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/00 Measuring temperature based on the use of electric or magnetic elements directly sensitive to heat giving results other than momentary value of temperature G01K3/00 ; Power supply therefor, e.g. using thermoelectric elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/01 using semiconducting elements having PN junctions G01K7/02, G01K7/16, G01K7/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 323/907 Temperature compensation of semiconductor

Abstract

A temperature sensor includes a proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) current generator configured to generate a first current proportional to temperature, a first complementary to absolute temperature (CTAT) current generator configured to generate a second current inversely proportional to temperature, a second CTAT current generator configured to generate a third current inversely proportional to temperature, and a temperature sensing unit configured to convert the first current, the second current, and the third current into a signal related to the temperature.

Claims

1. A temperature sensor comprising:

a proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) current generator configured to generate a first current proportional to temperature;

a first complementary to absolute temperature (CTAT) current generator configured to generate a second current inversely proportional to temperature;

a second CTAT current generator configured to generate a third current inversely proportional to temperature; and

a temperature sensing unit configured to convert the first current, the second current, and the third current into a signal related to the temperature.

2. The temperature sensor of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensing unit further comprises:

a current combiner configured to combine the first current and the third current into a fourth current; and

a current comparator configured to convert the first current, the second current, and the fourth current into the signal related to the temperature.

3. The temperature sensor of claim 1, wherein the PTAT current generator further comprises:

a first PMOS transistor having a source coupled to a power supply, and a gate and a drain coupled to each other;

a second PMOS transistor having a source coupled to the power supply and a gate coupled to the gate of the first PMOS transistor;

a first NMOS transistor having a gate and a drain coupled to the drain of the second PMOS transistor;

a second NMOS transistor having a drain coupled to the drain of the first PMOS transistor and a gate coupled to the gate of the first NMOS transistor;

a first diode coupled between the source of the first NMOS transistor and a ground; and

a resistor and a second diode serially coupled between the source of the second NMOS transistor and the ground;

wherein the ratio of the size of the first diode to the size of the second diode is 1;

M.

4. The temperature sensor of claim 1, wherein each of the first CTAT current generator and the second CTAT current generator comprises:

a PMOS transistor having a source coupled to a power supply, and a gate and a drain coupled to each other;

a CTAT NMOS transistor having a drain coupled to the drain of the PMOS transistor and a gate coupled to a gate of an NMOS transistor of the PTAT current generator; and

a variable resistor coupled between a source of the CTAT NMOS transistor and a ground, and configured to change resistance in response to an associated plurality of control signals.

5. The temperature sensor of claim 4, wherein the variable resistor of the second CTAT current generator has a value such that a gradient of the first current versus temperature is substantially equal to a gradient of the third current versus temperature.

6. The temperature sensor of claim 4, wherein for each of the first CTAT current generator and the second CTAT current generator, the variable resistor further comprises:

a plurality of resistors serially coupled between the source of the CTAT NMOS transistor and the ground; and

a plurality of second NMOS transistors, each second NMOS transistor coupled in parallel to an associated resistor, and having a gate to receive one of the control signals.

7. The temperature sensor of claim 4, further comprising for each of the first CTAT current generator and the second CTAT current generator, a mode register configured to store states of the associated control signals.

8. The temperature sensor of claim 7, wherein the mode register associated with the first CTAT current generator is configured to store the state of the associated control signals when the first current is substantially equal to the second current.

9. The temperature sensor of claim 7, wherein the mode register associated with the first CTAT current generator is configured to store the state of the control signals when the first current is substantially equal to the second current at a high temperature.

10. The temperature sensor of claim 4, further comprising a plurality of fusible links, each fusible link to set a state of one of the control signals of the first CTAT current generator and the second CTAT current generator.

11. The temperature sensor of claim 4, wherein the control signals for the second CTAT current generator are set such that an absolute value of a difference between a sum of the first current and the third current at a high temperature and a sum of the first current and the third current at a low temperature is substantially at a minimum.

12. The temperature sensor of claim 11, wherein the state of the control signals for the second CTAT current generator when the absolute value of the difference is substantially at the minimum are stored in a mode register.

13. The temperature sensor of claim 11, wherein the state of the control signals for the second CTAT current generator when the absolute value of the difference is substantially at the minimum are set in a plurality of fusible links.

14. The temperature sensor of claim 2, wherein the current combiner further comprises:

a current mixer configured to generate a fifth current by summing the first current and the third current; and

a current multiplier configured to generate the fourth current by scaling the fifth current in response to a plurality of control signals.

15. The temperature sensor of claim 14, wherein the current mixer comprises:

a first PMOS transistor having a source coupled to a power supply and a gate coupled to a gate of a PMOS transistor of the PTAT current generator;

a second PMOS transistor having a source coupled to the power supply and a gate coupled to a gate of a PMOS transistor of the second CTAT current generator; and

an NMOS transistor having a gate and a drain coupled to the drains of the first and second PMOS transistors, and a source coupled to the ground.

16. The temperature sensor of claim 14, wherein the current multiplier further comprises:

a first current multiplier configured to generate a sixth current by scaling the fifth current in response to a first subset of the control signals; and

a second current multiplier configured to generate the fourth current by scaling the sixth current in response to a second subset of the control signals.

17. The temperature sensor of claim 16, wherein the first subset of control signals are set such that at a low temperature, when the second subset of the control signals are set to scale the sixth current by a maximum amount, the second current is substantially equal to the first current plus the fourth current.

18. The temperature sensor of claim 16, wherein the first subset of control signals are set such that at a low temperature, when the second subset of the control signals are set to scale the sixth current by a maximum amount, the first current is substantially equal to the second current minus the fourth current.

19. The temperature sensor of claim 16, wherein the first current multiplier further comprises:

a PMOS transistor having a source coupled to a power supply, and a gate and a drain coupled to each other; and

a current controller coupled between the drain of the PMOS transistor and a ground, the current controller configured to generate the sixth current in response to the fifth current and the first subset of the control signals.

20. The temperature sensor of claim 19, wherein the current controller further comprises:

a plurality of first NMOS transistors, each first NMOS transistor having a drain coupled to the drain of the PMOS transistor and a gate coupled to a gate of a NMOS transistor of the current mixer; and

a plurality of second NMOS transistors, each second NMOS transistor coupled between a source of an associated one of the first NMOS transistors and the ground, and having a gate to receive one of the first subset of the control signals;

wherein any first NMOS transistor not coupled to an associated second NMOS transistor has a source coupled to the ground.

21. The temperature sensor of claim 20, wherein the first NMOS transistors have sizes such that a sum of currents through the first NMOS transistors is substantially proportional to a binary code on the first subset of the control signals.

22. The temperature sensor of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of fuses, each fuse to set a one of the first subset of the control signals.

23. The temperature sensor of claim 16, wherein the second current multiplier comprises:

a current controller coupled to a power supply, the second current multiplier configured to generate the fourth current in response to the sixth current and the second subset of the control signals; and

an NMOS transistor having a gate and a drain coupled to the current controller and a source coupled to a ground,

24. The temperature sensor of claim 23, wherein the current controller comprises:

a plurality of first PMOS transistors having sources coupled to the power supply and gates coupled to a gate of a PMOS transistor of the first current multiplier; and

a plurality of second PMOS transistors, each second PMOS transistor coupled between a drain of an associated one of the first PMOS transistors and the drain of the NMOS transistor, and having a gate to receive one of the second subset of the control signals.

25. The temperature sensor of claim 24, wherein the first PMOS transistors have sizes such that a sum of currents through the first PMOS transistors is substantially proportional to a binary code on the second subset of the control signals.

26. The temperature sensor of claim 2, wherein the current comparator further comprises:

a first comparator configured to compare the first current to a difference of the second current and the fourth current to generate a first current comparison; and

a second comparator configured to compare the second current to a sum of the first current and the fourth current to generate a second current comparison.

27. The temperature sensor of claim 26, further comprising:

a differential amplifier to compare and amplify the first current comparison and the second current comparison in response to a temperature sensor enable signal to generate a differential output signal; and

a latch configured to latch the differential output signal in response to an inverted temperature sensor enable signal and to output a signal related to the temperature.

28. The temperature sensor of claim 26, wherein the first comparator comprises:

a first PMOS transistor having a source coupled to a power supply and a gate coupled to a gate of a PMOS transistor of the PTAT current generator;

a second PMOS transistor having a source coupled to the power supply and a gate coupled to a gate of a PMOS transistor of the first CTAT current generator;

a first NMOS transistor having a drain coupled to the drain of the first PMOS transistor and a source coupled to a ground;

a second NMOS transistor having a source coupled to the ground, and a gate and a drain coupled to the drain of the second PMOS transistor and a gate of the first NMOS transistor; and

a third NMOS transistor having a drain coupled to the drain of the second NMOS transistor, a source coupled to the ground, and a gate coupled to a gate of an NMOS transistor of the current combiner.

29. The temperature sensor of claim 26, wherein the second comparator comprises:

a first PMOS transistor having a source coupled to a power supply and a gate coupled to a gate of a PMOS transistor of the first CTAT current generator;

a second PMOS transistor having a source coupled to the power supply and a gate coupled to a gate of a PMOS transistor of the PTAT current generator;

a first NMOS transistor having a drain coupled to the drain of the first PMOS transistor and a source coupled to a ground;

the second NMOS transistor having a source coupled to the ground, and a gate and a drain coupled to the drain of the second PMOS transistor and a gate of the first NMOS transistor;

a third PMOS transistor having a source coupled to the power supply and a drain coupled to the drain of the second NMOS transistor;

a fourth PMOS transistor having a source coupled to the power supply, a gate and a drain coupled to a gate of the third PMOS transistor; and

a third NMOS transistor having a drain coupled to the drain of the fourth PMOS transistor, a source coupled to the ground, and a gate coupled to a gate of an NMOS transistor of the current combiner.

30. The temperature sensor of claim 1, further comprising a power generator configured to supply power only for the temperature sensor.

31. A temperature detection method for a temperature sensor comprising:

generating a first current proportional to temperature;

generating a second current inversely proportional to temperature;

generating a third current inversely proportional to temperature;

adjusting the second current such that the first current is substantially equal to the second current at a high temperature;

adjusting the third current such that a sum of the first current and the third current has a minimum deviation from a constant over temperature; and

converting the first current, the second current, and the third current into a signal related to the temperature.

32. The temperature detection method of claim 31, wherein adjusting the second current further comprises:

adjusting the second current using a plurality of control signals; and

storing a state of the control signals.

33. The temperature detection method of claim 32, storing the state of the control signals further comprising storing the state of the control signals in a mode register.

34. The temperature detection method of claim 32, storing the state of the control signals further comprising fuse trimming a plurality of fuses to fix the state of the control signals.

35. The temperature detection method of claim 31, wherein adjusting the third current further comprises:

adjusting the third current using a plurality of control signals; and

storing a state of the control signals.

36. The temperature detection method of claim 35, storing the state of the control signals further comprising storing the state of the control signals in a mode register.

37. The temperature detection method of claim 35, storing the state of the control signals further comprising fuse trimming a plurality of fuses to fix the state of the control signals.

38. The temperature detection method of claim 31, wherein converting the first current, the second current, and the third current into the signal related to the temperature further comprises:

generating a fourth current by summing the first current and the third current; and

adjusting the fourth current such that the second current is substantially equal to the first current plus the fourth current at a low temperature;

converting the first current, the second current, and the fourth current into the signal related to the temperature.

39. The temperature detection method of claim 38, wherein converting the first current, the second current, and the fourth current into the signal related to the temperature further comprises adjusting the fourth current using a plurality of second control signals until a comparison of the second current and a sum of the first current and the fourth current changes state.

40. The temperature detection method of claim 38, wherein adjusting the fourth current further comprises:

adjusting the fourth current using a plurality of control signals; and

storing a state of the control signals.

41. The temperature detection method of claim 40, storing the state of the control signals further comprising storing the state of the control signals in a mode register.

42. The temperature detection method of claim 40, storing the state of the control signals further comprising fuse trimming a plurality of fuses to fix the state of the control signals.

43. The temperature detection method of claim 31, wherein adjusting the third current further comprises adjusting the third current such that the third current has a gradient over temperature substantially equal to a gradient of the first current over temperature.

44. The temperature detection method of claim 31, wherein adjusting the third current further comprises:

adjusting the third current using a plurality of control signals;

measuring the sum at a high temperature with the control signals in a plurality of test states;

measuring the sum at a low temperature with the control signals in the plurality of test states; and

selecting one of the test states as the state of the control signals, the selected test state being a state where an absolute value of a difference between the fourth current at the high temperature in the selected state and the fourth current at the low temperature in the selected state is a minimum.

45. The temperature detection method of claim 31, wherein converting the first current, the second current, and the third current further comprises:

summing the first current and the third current into a fourth current;

scaling the fourth current into a fifth current in response to a plurality of first control signals;

scaling the fifth current into a sixth current in response to a plurality of second control signals; and

converting the first current, the second current, and the sixth current into the signal related to the temperature.

46. The temperature detection method of claim 45, wherein scaling the fourth current further comprises:

selecting a plurality of transistors in response to the first control signals;

for each selected transistor, generating a current contribution in response to the fourth current; and

combining the current contributions of the selected transistors into the fifth current.

47. The temperature detection method of claim 45, wherein scaling the fifth current further comprises:

selecting a plurality of transistors in response to the second control signals;

for each selected transistor, generating a current contribution in response to the fifth current; and

combining the current contributions of the selected transistors into the sixth current.

48. The temperature detection method of claim 31, wherein converting the first current, the second current, and the third current into the signal related to the temperature further comprises:

scaling a sum of the first current and the third current into a fourth current;

generating a first comparison between the second current and a sum of the first current and the fourth current;

generating a second comparison between the first current and a difference of the second current and the fourth current; and

generating the signal related to the temperature by comparing the first comparison and the second comparison.

51. The temperature detection method of claim 44, wherein generating the second current further comprises generating the second current in response to a plurality of control signals.

52. The temperature detection method of claim 51, further comprising setting the control signals in a state such that the first current and the second current are substantially equal at a high temperature.

53. The temperature detection method of claim 44, wherein generating the third current further comprises generating the third current in response to a plurality of control signals.

54. The temperature detection method of claim 53, further comprising setting the control signals in a state such that the fourth current versus temperature has a minimum deviation from a constant current versus temperature.

49. A temperature detection method for a semiconductor device comprising:

generating a first current proportional to temperature;

generating a second current inversely proportional to temperature;

generating a third current inversely proportional to temperature; and

converting the first current, the second current, and the third current into a signal related to the temperature.

50. The temperature detection method of claim 49, wherein converting the first current, the second current, and the third current into the signal related to the temperature further comprises:

generating a fourth current by summing the first current and the third current;

generating a fifth current by scaling the fourth current; and

converting the first current, the second current, and the fifth current into the signal related the temperature.

55. The temperature detection method of claim 50, wherein generating the fifth current further comprises:

generating a sixth current by scaling the fourth current by a first factor; and

generating the fifth current by scaling the sixth current by a second factor.

56. The temperature detection method of claim 55, further comprising setting the first factor in response to a plurality of control signals.

57. The temperature detection method of claim 55, further comprising setting the first factor such that the second current is substantially equal to a sum of the first current and the fifth current at a low temperature.

58. The temperature detection method of claim 50, further comprising adjusting the fifth current until a comparison of the second current and a sum of the first current and the fifth current changes state.

59. The temperature detection method of claim 58, further comprising adjusting a refresh rate of a semiconductor device according to the adjustment of the fifth current.

60. The temperature detection method of claim 58, wherein:

adjusting the fifth current until the comparison changes state further comprises adjusting the fifth current at a first rate; and

further comprising adjusting the fifth current at a second rate after the comparison changes state, wherein the first rate is faster than the second rate.

61. The temperature detection method of claim 58, wherein adjusting the fifth current further comprises adjusting the fifth current by one unit.

62. The temperature detection method of claim 58, further comprising providing a state of the adjustment of the fifth current as a sensed temperature.

63. The temperature detection method of claim 50, wherein converting the first current, the second current, and the fifth current into the signal related to the temperature further comprises:

generating a first result by comparing the first current to a difference of the second current and the fifth current;

generating a second result by comparing the second current to a sum of the first current and the fifth current; and

generating the signal related to the temperature by comparing the first result and the second result.