Direct temperature sensing of a semiconductor device semiconductor device

• US 6,149,299 A
• Filed: 12/11/1997
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aslan, Mehmet, Can, Sumer
• Primary Examiner(s): MISKA, VIT W
• Application Number:
  US08/988,874
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 378/163, 378/172, 378/173, 378/178, 257/467-470, 327/512
• US Class Current: 374/178
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/01 using semiconducting elements having PN junctions G01K7/02, G01K7/16, G01K7/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation

Abstract

An apparatus and method for directly measuring the operating temperature of a semiconductor device. A temperature sensor is placed directly on the substrate containing the device whose temperature is of interest. The circuitry used to process the sensor signals is on a separate substrate. Because the sensor is on the same substrate as the device of interest, noise is produced in the sensor signals as a result of electrons injected into the substrate by the device. The present invention includes methods for cancelling the noise and error in the temperature measurements to provide a very accurate determination of the device'"'"'s operating temperature.

Claims

1. An apparatus for measuring the temperature of a device of interest, comprising:

a first substrate on which is formed the device of interest;

a temperature sensor formed on the first substrate, the temperature sensor including a first junction diode and a second junction diode; and

a temperature sensor signal processing circuit formed on a second substrate and configured to have as an input a signal provided by the temperature sensor, wherein the temperature sensor signal processing circuit further comprises;

a circuit operable to provide a first current level to the temperature sensor and to measure a first output voltage at an output node of the temperature sensor, and to provide a second current level to the temperature sensor and to measure a second output voltage at the output node of the temperature sensor; and

a switch operable to selectively route the first current level through the first junction diode and the second current level through the second junction diode, and to selectively route the first current level through the second junction diode and the second current level through the first junction diode.

2. The temperature measuring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor signal processing circuit further comprises:

a differencing circuit having the first and second output voltages of the output node of the temperature sensor as inputs and operable to provide the difference between the two inputs as an output.

3. The temperature measuring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first output voltage is measured at an ouput node of the first junction diode and the second output voltage is measured at an output node of the second juction diode.

4. The temperature measuring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second current level is an integer multiple of the first current level.

5. The temperature measuring apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second current level is equal to the first current level, and further, wherein an area of the second junction diode is an integer multiple of an area of the first junction diode.

6. The temperature measuring apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first current level is an integer multiple of the second current level, and an area of the first junction diode is an integer multiple of an area of the second junction diode.

7. The temperature measuring apparatus of claim 6, wherein the temperature sensor signal processing circuit further comprises a circuit operable to provide a third current level to the temperature sensor and to measure a third output voltage at the output node of the temperature sensor, the third current level being an integer multiple of the second current level;

and the temperature measuring apparatus further comprising;

a switch operable to selectively route either the second or third current level through the second junction diode.

8. A method of measuring the temperature of a device formed on a first substrate, comprising the steps of:

arranging a temperature sensor on the first substrate by forming a first junction diode and a second juction diode;

arranging a temperature sensor signal processing circuit on a second substrate, the signal processing circuit configured to have as an input a signal provided by the temperature sensor;

providing a first current level to the temperature sensor;

measuring a first output voltage at an output node of the temperature sensor;

providing a second current level to the temperature sensor;

measuring a second output voltage at the output node of the temperature sensor;

selectively routing either the first current level or the second current level through either the first junction diode or the second junction diode;

differencing the first and second output voltages; and

determining a temperature of the device based on the difference between the first and second output voltages.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second current level is an integer multiple of the first current level.

10. A method of measuring the temperature of a device, the method comprising the steps of:

forming a first junction diode and a second juction diode on the device;

arranging a temperature sensor signal processing circuit configured to have as an input a signal provided by the first and second junction diodes;

providing and selectively routing a first current level through the first junction diode and a second current level through the second juction diode;

measuring a first output voltage at an output node of the first junction diode and measuring the second output voltage at an output node of the second juction diode;

selectively routing the first current level through the second juction diode and the second current level through the first junction diode; and

measuring the first output voltage at the output node of the second juction diode and measuring the second output voltage at the output node of the first junction diode;

differencing the first and second output voltages; and

determining a temperature of the device based on the difference between the first and second output voltages.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second current level is an integer multiple of the first current level.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein an area of the second juction diode is an integer multiple of an area of the first junction diode.

13. An apparatus for measuring the temperature of a device comprising:

a temperature sensor formed on the device, the temperature sensor having a first juction diode and a second junction diode; and

a temperature sensor signal processing circuit formed on the device and configured to have as an input a signal provided by the temperature sensor, the temperature sensor signal processing circuit having a circuit operable to provide a first current level to the temperature sensor and to measure a first output voltage at an output node of the temperature sensor, and to provide a second current level to the temperature sensor and to measure a second output voltage at the output node of the temperature sensor; and

a switch operable to selectively route the first current level through the first junction diode and the second current level through the second junction diode, and to selectively route the first current level through the second juction diode and the second current level through the first junction diode.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first output voltage is measured at an output node of the first junction diode and the second output voltage is measured at an output node of the second junction diode.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the second current level if an integer multiple of the first current level.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the second current level is equal to the first current level, and wherein an area of the second junction diode is an integer mutliple of an area of the first junction diode.