Semiconductor device with temperature sensor

• US 7,307,328 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Issued: 12/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Meyer, Thorsten, Krischke, Norbert, Zundel, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Pert, Evan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rodela, Eduardo A.
• Application Number:
  US11/240,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20060071700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 257/467
• US Class Current: 257/467
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/01 using semiconducting elements having PN junctions G01K7/02, G01K7/16, G01K7/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/34 Arrangements for cooling, heating, ventilating or temperature compensation ; Temperature sensing arrangements thermal treatment apparatus H01L21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0705 comprising components of the field effect type
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance

Abstract

A semiconductor device is disclosed. In one embodiment the semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body of which is integrated a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature prevailing in the semiconductor body. The temperature sensor has a MOS transistor and a bipolar transistor. The MOS transistor is integrated into the semiconductor body nd configured such that the substhreshold current intensity of the MOS transistor is proportional to the temperature to be measured. The subthreshold current of the MOS transistor is amplified by the bipolar transistor.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a semiconductor body; and

a temperature sensor integrated in the semiconductor body, the temperature sensor comprising a MOS transistor and a bipolar transistor connected to the MOS transistor;

wherein;

the MOS transistor comprises a source region and a drain region having a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type, a section of the semiconductor body arranged between the source region and the drain region forming a body region of the MOS transistor,

the bipolar transistor comprises controlled electrode regions consisting of the section of the semiconductor body arranged between the source region and the drain region and of a highly doped region of the first conductivity type forming a pn junction with the drain zone so that the drain region of the MOS transistor constitutes a base of the bipolar transistor which is configured as a floating base,

the highly doped region of the bipolar transistor is electrically connected to a gate electrode of the MOS transistor, and

the temperature sensor further comprises first and second metal connections each for supplying respective operation potentials to the source region and the highly doped zone of the bipolar transistor for operating the temperature sensor such that a sub-threshold current of the MOS transistor that changes upon temperature change of the semiconductor body is amplified by the bipolar transistor.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the MOS transistor is embodied as a trench transistor comprising plural gate electrodes respectively formed within a plurality of trenches lined with an insulation layer and further a plurality of source regions, body regions and drain regions respectively located between the trenches, wherein the highly doped zone of the bipolar transistor forming the pn junction with the drain zones being situated above the drain zones.

3. A temperature sensor for measuring temperature in a semiconductor device, comprising:

a MOS transistor integrated into a body of the semiconductor device, the MOS transistor including a source and drain regions and a gate electrode;

a bipolar transistor integrated into the body of the semiconductor device, the drain region of the of MOS transistor forming a base of the bipolar transistor, a section of the semiconductor body between the source and drain regions forming a first controlled electrode region of the bipolar transistor, a highly doped region of the semiconductor body forming a second controlled electrode region of the bipolar transistor, the second controlled electrode region being electrically connected to the gate electrode;

a first terminal connected to the source region;

a second terminal connected to the gate electrode and the second controlled electrode region;

wherein a subthreshold current of the MOS transistor established by a difference in potential of voltage signals received by the first and second terminals is amplified by the bipolar transistor.

4. The temperature sensor of claim 3, wherein the subthreshold current rises or falls exponentially when there is a change in the temperature of the semiconductor body.

5. The temperature sensor of claim 3, wherein the base of the bipolar transistor is configured as a floating base.

6. The temperature sensor of claim 3, wherein the MOS transistor is embodied as a trench transistor.

7. The temperature sensor of claim 6, wherein the trench transistor has a plurality of source regions, body regions, drain regions and gate electrodes provided in trenches, and configured via the gate electrodes to generate current flows between the source regions and the drain regions through the body regions.