Implementation of a temperature sensor to control internal chip voltages

• US 6,809,978 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2002
• Issued: 10/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Polaris Innovations Limited (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Baker, Steven Michael, Alexander, George William
• Primary Examiner(s): Yoha, Connie C.
• Application Number:
  US10/144,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20030210598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 365/211, 365/212, 365/149, 365/189.07
• US Class Current: 365/211
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/4074 Power supply or voltage generation circuits, e.g. bias voltage generators, substrate voltage generators, back-up power, power control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/147 Voltage reference generators, voltage or current regulators; Internally lowered supply levels; Compensation for voltage drops G11C5/141 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/04 with means for avoiding disturbances due to temperature effects
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

A method of regulating a voltage of an internal voltage generator of an integrated circuit that includes sensing a temperature of an integrated circuit, comparing the sensed temperature with a voltage of a network of the integrated circuit and regulating a voltage of an internal voltage generator of the integrated circuit based on the comparing.

Claims

1. A voltage control system for controlling the internal supply voltage of an integrated circuit, comprising:

a controllable internal voltage source integrated in the integrated circuit for generating the controlled internal supply voltage of the integrated circuit based on an external voltage V_ext and for supplying the controlled internal supply voltage to a chip network of the integrated circuit;

a temperature sensor that is positioned so as to sense a temperature of said integrated circuit and generates a signal representative of said sensed temperature;

a comparator connected to said temperature sensor and said chin network so as to receive said signal representative of said sensed temperature and a voltage of said chip network and so as to generate a regulating signal based on a comparison of the signal representing the temperature and the voltage of the chip network; and

a control system that is connected to said comparator, wherein said control system receives said regulating signal and regulates said voltage of said controllable internal voltage source based on said regulating signal.

2. The voltage control system of claim 1, wherein said temperature sensor is attached to said integrated circuit.

3. The voltage control system of claim 1, wherein said regulating signal is determined so that said network does not encounter a change in a level of power being supplied to it by said internal voltage generator.

4. The voltage control system of claim 1, wherein said integrated circuit is a memory chip.

5. The voltage control system of claim 4, wherein said memory chip comprises a DRAM memory.

6. A method of regulating a voltage of an internal voltage generator of an integrated circuit, comprising:

sensing a temperature of an integrated circuit;

comparing said sensed temperature with a voltage of a network of said integrated circuit; and

regulating a voltage of an internal voltage generator of said integrated circuit based on said comparing.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said voltage of said internal voltage generator is regulated so that said network does not encounter a change in a level of power being supplied to it by said internal voltage generator.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said integrated circuit is a memory chip.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said memory chip comprises a DRAM memory.