Temperature detecting circuit

• US 7,528,644 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2006
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Jong-Hyun, Seo, Dong-Il
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Dinh T.
• Application Number:
  US11/482,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20070098042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 327/509, 327512-513
• US Class Current: 327/512
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2219/00 Thermometers with dedicated analog to digital converters
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/015 using microstructures, e.g. made of silicon

Abstract

A temperature detecting circuit is provided. The temperature detecting circuit includes a reference and detection voltage generator for generating a reference voltage corresponding to a first and a second reference current, and changing first to M-th (M being a natural number) detection currents based on first to M-th temperature detection codes to generate first to M-th detection voltages corresponding to the changed first to M-th detection currents and the second reference current; a temperature detection signal generator for comparing each of the first to M-th detection voltages with the reference voltage to generate first to M-th temperature detection signals; and a temperature detection controller for detecting an operation temperature of a semiconductor device while changing the first to M-th temperature detection codes in response to the first to M-th temperature detection signals from the temperature detection signal generator.

Claims

1. A temperature detecting circuit for use with a semiconductor device, the circuit comprising:

a reference and detection voltage generator for generating a reference voltage corresponding to a first and a second reference current, and having a variable resistance circuit for changing at least two detection currents based on at least two temperature detection codes fed thereto to generate at least two detection voltages corresponding to the changed at least two detection currents and the second reference current;

a temperature detection signal generator for comparing each of the at least two detection voltages with the reference voltage to generate at least two temperature detection signals; and

a temperature detection controller connected to the temperature detection signal generator for detecting an operating temperature of the semiconductor device and generating the at least two temperature detection codes in response to the at least two temperature detection signals, wherein the at least two temperature detection codes are output and fed back to the reference and detection voltage generator.

2. The temperature detecting circuit according to claim 1, wherein the reference and detection voltage generator comprises:

a reference voltage generator for generating the reference voltage corresponding to the first and second reference currents; and

at least two detection voltage generators having respective variable resistance circuits for changing the at least two detection currents based on the at least two temperature detection codes to generate the at least two detection voltages corresponding to the changed at least two detection currents and the second reference current.

3. The temperature detecting circuit according to claim 2, wherein the reference voltage generator comprises:

a first transistor connected between a power supply voltage and a second node, having a gate coupled to a first node, to apply a first reference current to the second node;

a second transistor connected between a power supply voltage and a third node, having a gate coupled to the first node, to apply a second reference current to the third node;

a first diode connected between the second node and a ground voltage to determine an amount of the first reference current flowing through the second node;

a second diode and a resistor connected between the third node and the ground voltage to determine an amount of the second reference current flowing through the third node; and

a reference voltage generation unit connected between the first node, the second node and the third node to output the reference voltage to the first node according to the amount of the first and second reference currents flowing though the second and third nodes, respectively.

4. The temperature detecting circuit according to claim 3, wherein the first transistor and the second transistor are PMOS transistors.

5. The temperature detecting circuit according to claim 3, wherein each of the at least two detection voltage generators comprises:

a third transistor connected between a power supply voltage and a fifth node, having a gate coupled to a fourth node, to apply a first detection current to the fifth node;

a first variable resistor circuit connected between the fifth node and the ground voltage to change an amount of the first detection current flowing through the fifth node according to a first temperature detection code from the temperature detection controller; and

a first detection voltage generation unit connected between the fourth node, the fifth node and the third node to output a first detection voltage to the fourth node according to the amount of the second reference current and the first detection current flowing through the third and fifth nodes.

6. The temperature detecting circuit according to claim 5, wherein the third transistor is PMOS transistor.

7. The temperature detecting circuit according to claim 4, wherein the variable resistor circuit comprises:

a predetermined number of resistors connected in series; and

a predetermined number of fourth transistors connected in parallel with the predetermined number of resistors, respectively.

8. The temperature detecting circuit according to claim 7, wherein the fourth transistors are PMOS transistors.

9. The temperature detecting circuit according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined number of resistors have the same resistance.

10. The temperature detecting circuit according to claim 5, wherein the polarity of the respective input terminals of the reference voltage generator and the at least two detection voltage generators connected to the third node are different from each other.

11. The temperature detecting circuit according to claim 1, wherein the temperature detection controller stops changing the at least two temperature detection codes to output an at least first and second temperature detection codes when the operation temperature of the semiconductor device is detected.

12. The temperature detecting circuit according to claim 1, wherein the temperature detection controller sequentially increases the code value in order from the first temperature detection code to the at least second temperature detection code.

13. The temperature detecting circuit according to claim 1, wherein the temperature detection controller sequentially decreases the code value in order from the at least second temperature detection code to the first temperature detection code.

14. The temperature detecting circuit according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least two temperature detection codes is an N-bit thermometer code.

15. The temperature detecting circuit according to claim 1, wherein the reference and detection voltage generator includes at least three operational amplifiers and at least two variable resistor circuits and the temperature detection signal generator includes at least two comparators.

16. A temperature detecting circuit for use with a semiconductor device, the circuit comprising:

a reference and detection voltage generator for generating a reference voltage corresponding to a first and a second reference current, and having a variable resistance circuit for changing a first and a second detection current based on a first and a second temperature detection code fed thereto to generate a first and a second detection voltage corresponding to the changed first and second detection currents and the second reference current;

a temperature detection signal generator for comparing the first and second detection voltages with the reference voltage to generate a first and a second temperature detection signal; and

a temperature detection controller connected to the temperature detection signal generator for detecting an operation temperature of a semiconductor device and generating the first and second temperature detection codes in response to the first and second temperature detection signals, wherein the first and second temperature detection codes are output and fed back to the reference and detection voltage generator.

17. The temperature detecting circuit according to claim 16, wherein the temperature detection controller stops a tracking operation and outputs the first and second temperature detection codes when the first temperature detection signal is disabled at a predetermined temperature.

18. The temperature detecting circuit according to claim 16, wherein the temperature detection controller sequentially increases the second temperature detection code and checks whether the second temperature detection signal is disabled when the first temperature detection signal is not disabled and the first temperature detection code has reached its greatest value.

19. The temperature detecting circuit according to claim 16, wherein the temperature detection controller stops a tracking operation and outputs the first and second temperature detection codes when the second temperature detection signal is disabled at a predetermined temperature.

20. The temperature detecting circuit according to claim 16, wherein the temperature detection controller outputs the first and second temperature detection codes when the second temperature detection signal is not disabled and the second temperature detection code has reached its greatest value.