Linear integrated circuit temperature sensor apparatus with adjustable gain and offset

• US 7,439,601 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2004
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hartley, Paul K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo; Ngan
• Application Number:
  US10/940,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20060056485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• Field of Search: 257/467, 257/470, 257/E23.08, 257/E31.131
• 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

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention include a temperature sensor apparatus, method and system for providing an output voltage response that is linear to the temperature of the integrated circuit to which the temperature sensor belongs and/or the integrated circuit die on which the temperature sensor resides. The output voltage of the temperature sensor has an adjustable gain component and an adjustable voltage offset component that both are adjustable independently based on circuit parameters. The temperature sensor includes a conventional bandgap circuit, which generates an internal PTAT (proportional to absolute temperature) current to produce a bandgap reference voltage, and a current mirror arrangement that provides a scaled current that is proportional to the bandgap circuit'"'"'s PTAT current. Conventionally, the scaled PTAT current is sourced through an output resistor to provide the output voltage of the temperature sensor. The inventive temperature sensor includes an offset circuit that diverts a portion of current from the scaled PTAT current before the current is sourced through the output resistor. Thus, the inventive temperature sensor subtracts an offset voltage from the output voltage, which offset voltage represents the desired voltage offset component. The offset circuit includes a bandgap circuit arrangement, a voltage to current converter arrangement, and a current mirror arrangement that are configured to provide a voltage offset that is adjustable based on independent circuit parameters such as resistor value ratios and transistor device scaling ratios. The gain component of the inventive temperature also is based on similar independent circuit parameters.

Claims

1. A temperature sensor, comprising:

a current source including a resistor R_PTAT and generating a proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) current I_PTAT that is proportional to absolute temperature (T);

a first current mirror coupled to the current source and having a first scaling factor N for scaling the PTAT current I_PTAT by a factor of N to generate an N-scaled PTAT current;

a temperature sensor resistor R_TS coupled to the first current mirror; and

an offset circuit coupled to the first current mirror and the temperature sensor resistor R_TS, the offset circuit having a second scaling factor P and including an offset resistor R_OFF and having a bandgap voltage V_BG across the offset resistor R_OFF,

wherein the temperature sensor generates an output voltage V_OUT across the temperature sensor resistor R_TS, and

wherein the offset circuit offsets the voltage across the temperature sensor resistor R_TS by a voltage offset V_OFF, wherein the voltage offset V_OFF is the bandgap voltage V_BG multiplied by the second scaling factor P and multiplied by the ratio of the temperature sensor resistor R_TS to the offset resistor R_OFF.

2. The temperature sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein the current mirror further comprises a first current mirror, and wherein the offset circuit further comprises:

a bandgap circuit for generating the bandgap voltage V_BG,

a voltage to current converter, coupled to the bandgap circuit, for generating a bandgap current I_BG based on the bandgap voltage V_BG and the offset resistor R_OFF, and

a second current mirror coupled between the voltage to current converter, the first current mirror and the temperature sensor resistor R_TS, the second current mirror having the second scaling factor P for scaling the bandgap current I_BG to determine the voltage V_OFF.

3. The temperature sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor has a gain that is based on the ratio of the temperature sensor resistor R_TS to the current source resistor R_PTAT.

4. The temperature sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor has a voltage offset that is based on the ratio of the temperature sensor resistor R_TS to the offset resistor R_OFF.

5. The temperature sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is fabricated as an integrated circuit (IC).

6. A temperature sensor, comprising:

a current source coupled between an upper supply voltage V_CC and a lower supply voltage V_SS, the current source including a resistor R_PTAT and generating a PTAT current I_PTAT that is proportional to absolute temperature T;

a current mirror coupled to the current source and the upper supply voltage V_CC, the current mirror having a first scaling factor N for scaling up the PTAT current I_PTAT by a factor of N to generate an N-scaled PTAT current;

a temperature sensor resistor R_TS coupled to the current mirror and the lower supply voltage V_SS; and

an offset circuit coupled to the current mirror and the temperature sensor resistor R_TS, the offset circuit including an offset resistor R_OFF and having a bandgap voltage V_BG across the offset resistor R_OFF,

wherein the offset circuit diverts an offset current I_OFF from the N-scaled PTAT current generated by the current mirror,

wherein the remaining, non-diverted portion of the N-scaled PTAT current is sourced through the temperature sensor resistor R_TS as a temperature sensor current I_OUT,

wherein the temperature sensor generates an output voltage V_TS by the flow of the temperature sensor current I_OUT through the temperature sensor resistor R_TS, the output voltage V_TS being a function of the absolute temperature T and a function of the bandgap voltage V_BG,

wherein the temperature sensor has a gain that is based on the ratio of the temperature sensor resistor R_TS to the current source resistor R_PTAT, and

wherein the temperature sensor has a voltage offset that is based on the ratio of the temperature sensor resistor R_TS to the offset resistor R_OFF.

7. The temperature sensor as recited in claim 6, wherein the offset circuit further comprises:

a first circuit portion that generates a bandgap current I_BG based on the bandgap voltage V_BG and the offset resistor R_OFF, and

a second circuit portion, coupled to the first circuit portion, that scales up the bandgap current I_BG to determine the offset current I_OFF diverted from the N-scaled PTAT current.

8. The temperature sensor as recited in claim 6, wherein the current mirror further comprises a first current mirror, and wherein the offset circuit further comprises:

a bandgap circuit coupled between the upper supply voltage V_CC and the lower supply voltage V_SS, the bandgap circuit having a bandgap voltage V_BG,

a voltage to current converter, coupled to the bandgap circuit, for generating a bandgap current I_BG based on the bandgap voltage V_BG and the offset resistor R_OFF, and

a second current mirror coupled between the voltage to current converter, the first current mirror and the temperature sensor resistor R_TS, the second current mirror having a second scaling factor P for scaling up the bandgap current I_BG by a factor of P to determine the offset current I_OFF diverted from the N-scaled PTAT current.

9. The temperature sensor as recited in claim 8, wherein the voltage to current converter further comprises:

an op-amp having an inverting input, a non-inverting input, and an output,

a first field effect transistor (FET) having a gate coupled to the output of the op-amp, a source coupled to the upper supply voltage V_CC, and a drain coupled to the inverting input of the op-amp,

a second FET having a gate coupled to the output of the op-amp and the gate of the first FET, a source coupled to the upper supply voltage V_CC, and a drain coupled to the second current mirror, and

a resistor coupled between the lower supply voltage V_SS and the drain of the first FET and the inverting input of the op-amp,

wherein the voltage potential at the non-inverting input of the op-amp is the bandgap voltage V_BG.

10. The temperature sensor as recited in claim 9, wherein at least one of the first and second FETs are p-type FETs.

11. The temperature sensor as recited in claim 8, wherein the second current mirror further comprises:

a third FET having a gate, a drain and a source, wherein the gate and the drain are coupled together, and wherein the source is coupled to the lower supply voltage V_SS, and

a fourth FET having a gate coupled to the gate of the third FET, a drain coupled to the first current mirror and the temperature sensor resistor R_TS, and a source coupled to the lower supply voltage V_SS.

12. The temperature sensor as recited in claim 11, wherein at least one of the third and fourth FETs are N-type FETs.

13. The temperature sensor as recited in claim 11, wherein the fourth FET is a scaling device having the second scaling factor P.

14. The temperature sensor as recited in claim 6, wherein the temperature sensor is fabricated as an integrated circuit (IC).

15. An integrated circuit (IC), comprising:

a die;

at least one integrated circuit chip coupled to the die; and

a integrated circuit temperature sensor coupled to the die for detecting the temperature of the at least one integrated circuit chip, the temperature sensor including

a current source coupled between an upper supply voltage V_CC and a lower supply voltage V_SS, the current source including a resistor R_PTAT and generating a PTAT current I_PTAT that is proportional to absolute temperature T,

a current mirror coupled to the current source and the upper supply voltage V_CC, the current mirror having a first scaling factor N for scaling up the PTAT current I_PTAT by a factor of N to generate an N-scaled PTAT current,

a temperature sensor resistor R_TS coupled to the current mirror and the lower supply voltage V_SS, and

an offset circuit coupled to the current mirror and the temperature sensor resistor R_TS, the offset circuit having a first portion that generates a bandgap current I_BG based on a bandgap voltage V_BG across an offset resistor R_OFF, and a second portion, coupled to the first portion, that scales up the bandgap current I_BG to determine an offset current I_OFF,

wherein the offset circuit diverts the offset current I_OFF from the N-scaled PTAT current generated by the current mirror,

wherein the remaining, non-diverted portion of the N-scaled PTAT current is sourced through the temperature sensor resistor R_TS as a temperature sensor current I_OUT,

wherein the temperature sensor generates an output voltage V_TS by the flow of the temperature sensor current I_OUT through the temperature sensor resistor R_TS, the output voltage V_TS being a function of the absolute temperature T and a function of the bandgap voltage V_BG,

wherein the temperature sensor has a gain that is based on the ratio of the temperature sensor resistor R_TS to the current source resistor R_PTAT, and

wherein the temperature sensor has a voltage offset that is based on the ratio of the temperature sensor resistor R_TS to the offset resistor R_OFF.

16. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 15, wherein the current mirror further comprises a first current mirror, and wherein the offset circuit further comprises:

a bandgap circuit coupled between the upper supply voltage V_CC and the lower supply voltage V_SS, the bandgap circuit having a bandgap voltage V_BG,

a voltage to current converter, coupled to the bandgap circuit, for generating a bandgap current I_BG based on the bandgap voltage V_BG and the offset resistor R_OFF, and

a second current mirror coupled between the bandgap circuit, the first current mirror and the temperature sensor resistor R_TS, the second current mirror having a second scaling factor P for scaling up the bandgap current I_BG by a factor of P to determine the offset current I_OFF diverted from the N-scaled PTAT current.

17. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 15, wherein the bandgap voltage V_BG is based on the voltage potential of the integrated circuit.

18. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 15, wherein the lower supply voltage V_SS is ground potential.