3D THERMAL DETECTION CIRCUITS AND METHODS

• US 20170184459A1
• Filed: 03/15/2017
• Published: 06/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: HORNG, Jaw-Juinn, PENG, Yung-Chow, LIU, Szu-Lin
• Granted Patent: US 10,274,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/20 in a specially-adapted circuit, e.g. bridge circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/21 for modifying the output characteristic, e.g. linearising

Abstract

A three-dimensional integrated circuit includes a first layer including at least one sensing element configured to output at least one temperature-dependent voltage; and a second layer disposed vertically with respect to the first layer and coupled to the first layer by at least one via. The second layer includes: a compare circuit configured to generate at least one intermediate voltage in response to comparing the at least one temperature-dependent voltage to a feedback voltage; a control circuit configured to generate at least one control signal in response to the intermediate voltage; and a switching circuit configured to couple a capacitor coupled to a feedback node to one of a first voltage supply and a second voltage supply in response to the at least one control signal to generate an output signal that is based on a temperature sensed by the sensing element.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional integrated circuit, comprising:

a first layer including at least one sensing element configured to output at least one temperature-dependent voltage; and

a second layer disposed vertically with respect to the first layer and coupled to the first layer by at least one via, the second layer comprising;

a compare circuit configured to generate at least one intermediate voltage in response to comparing the at least one temperature-dependent voltage to a feedback voltage;

a control circuit configured to generate at least one control signal in response to the intermediate voltage; and

a switching circuit configured to couple a capacitor coupled to a feedback node to one of a first voltage supply and a second voltage supply in response to the at least one control signal to generate an output signal that is based on a temperature sensed by the sensing element.

2. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of layers disposed vertically with respect to the first layer, each of the plurality of layers includes at least one respective sensing element configured to output at least one temperature-dependent voltage.

3. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensing element comprises at least one resistor having a resistance that is based on a temperature of the at least one resistor.

4. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the control circuit includes a latch configured to receive a pair of intermediate voltages from the compare circuit and to output a pair of control signals in response.

5. The circuit of claim 4, wherein the switching circuit comprises:

a first transistor having a source coupled to the first power supply, a drain coupled to the feedback node, and a gate configured to receive one of the control signals output from the control circuit; and

a second transistor having a source coupled to the second power supply, a drain coupled to the feedback node, and a gate configured to receive another of the control signals output from the control circuit.

6. The circuit of claim 5, wherein the compare circuit comprises:

a first comparator having a first input configured to receive a first temperature-dependent voltage from the sensing element and a second input configured to receive the feedback voltage from the feedback node; and

a second comparator having a first input configured to receive a second temperature-dependent voltage from the sensing element and a second input configured to receive the feedback voltage from the feedback node.

7. The circuit of claim 6, wherein the at least one sensing element comprises:

a first switch coupled to a first node disposed between a power supply node and the resistor, the first switch configured to couple the first node to the first input of the first comparator; and

a second switch coupled to a second node disposed between the resistor and a second resistor, the second switch configured to couple the second node to the first input of the second comparator.

8. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the capacitor is a temperature insensitive capacitor.

9. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the first and second layers each include a respective substrate and interconnect, and wherein the at least one sensing element is disposed within the respective substrate or interconnect of the first layer.

10. A three-dimensional integrated circuit, comprising:

a first layer including a first sensing element configured to output a first temperature-dependent voltage;

a second layer including a second sensing element configured to output a second temperature-dependent voltage; and

a third layer disposed vertically with respect to the first and second layers and coupled to the first and second layers by at least one through-substrate-via (TSV), the third layer including;

a compare circuit configured to generate at least one intermediate voltage in response to comparing either one of the first and second temperature-dependent voltages to a feedback voltage;

a control circuit configured to generate at least one control signal in response to the intermediate voltage; and

a switching circuit configured to couple a capacitor coupled to a feedback node to one of a first voltage supply and a second voltage supply in response to the at least one control signal to generate an output signal that is based on a temperature sensed either by the first or second sensing element.

11. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the first and second sensing elements each comprises at least one resistor having a resistance that is based on a temperature of the at least one resistor.

12. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the control circuit includes a latch configured to receive a pair of intermediate voltages from the compare circuit and to output a pair of control signals in response.

13. The circuit of claim 12, wherein the switching circuit comprises:

a first transistor having a first source coupled to the first voltage supply, a first drain coupled to the feedback node, and a first gate configured to receive one of the control signals output from the control circuit; and

a second transistor having a second source coupled to the second voltage supply, a second drain coupled to the feedback node, and a second gate configured to receive another of the control signals output from the control circuit.

14. The circuit of claim 13, wherein the compare circuit comprises:

a first comparator having a first input configured to receive the first temperature-dependent voltage from the first sensing element and a second input configured to receive the feedback voltage from the feedback node; and

a second comparator having a third input configured to receive the second temperature-dependent voltage from the second sensing element and a fourth input configured to receive the feedback voltage from the feedback node.

15. The circuit of claim 14, wherein the first and second sensing elements each comprises:

a first switch coupled to a first node disposed between a power supply node and a first resistor of the at least one sensing element, the first switch configured to couple the first node to the first input of the first comparator; and

a second switch coupled to a second node disposed between the resistor and a second resistor the at least one sensing element, the second switch configured to couple the second node to the third input of the second comparator.

16. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the capacitor is a temperature insensitive capacitor.

17. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the first, second, and third layers each include a respective substrate and interconnect, and wherein the first sensing element is disposed within the respective substrate or interconnect of the first layer and the second sensing element is disposed within the respective substrate or interconnect of the second layer.

18. A method, comprising:

sensing a temperature at a first sensing element and outputting at least one temperature-dependent voltage in response;

outputting at least one intermediate voltage from a compare circuit in response to comparing the at least one temperature-dependent voltage to a feedback voltage;

selectively charging and discharging a capacitor coupled to a feedback node in response to at least one control signal that is based on the at least one temperature-dependent voltage; and

outputting a signal having a pulse-width that is based on the temperature at the first sensing element.

19. The method of claim 19, wherein the sensing element is disposed on a first layer of a three-dimensional integrated circuit and is coupled to other circuitry disposed on a second layer of a three-dimensional integrated circuit by a via.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein selectively charging and discharging the capacitor includes coupling the feedback node to one of a first voltage source and a second voltage source.