Semiconductor device having temperature sensor circuits

• US 9,631,982 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2016
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Darryl G. Walker
• Inventors: Walker, Darryl G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Vu
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHO, SUNG IL
• Application Number:
  US15/049,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20160169750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 365189011, 36518905, 365227
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/00 Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 3/005 Circuits arrangements for indicating a predetermined temperature fire detection G08B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/00 Measuring temperature based on the use of electric or magnetic elements directly sensitive to heat giving results other than momentary value of temperature G01K3/00 ; Power supply therefor, e.g. using thermoelectric elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/01 using semiconducting elements having PN junctions G01K7/02, G01K7/16, G01K7/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/16 using resistive elements resistive elements per se H01C, H01L
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/40626 Temperature related aspects of refresh operations
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/407 for memory cells of the field-effect type
• 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 11/4093 Input/output [I/O] data interface arrangements, e.g. data buffers
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/4096 Input/output [I/O] data management or control circuits, e.g. reading or writing circuits, I/O drivers or bit-line switches
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/00 Arrangements for writing information into, or reading information out from, a digital store G11C5/00 takes precedence; auxiliary circuits for stores using semiconductor devices G11C11/4063, G11C11/413
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/04 with means for avoiding disturbances due to temperature effects
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/145 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/223 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/687 the devices being field-effect transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 21/10 comprising logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/012 Modifications of generator to improve response time or to decrease power consumption

Abstract

A semiconductor device that may include at least one temperature sensing circuit is disclosed. The temperature sensing circuits may be used to control various operating parameters to improve the operation of the semiconductor device over a wide temperature range. In this way, operating specifications of a semiconductor device at worst case temperatures may be met without compromising performance at other operating temperatures. The temperature sensing circuit may provide a plurality of temperature ranges for setting the operational parameters. Each temperature range can include a temperature range upper limit value and a temperature range lower limit value and adjacent temperature ranges may overlap. The temperature ranges may be set in accordance with a count value that can incrementally change in response to the at least one temperature sensing circuit.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a temperature sensor circuit setting a temperature range upper limit value and a temperature range lower limit value, the temperature sensor circuit provides a first direction output signal and a second direction output signal, the first direction output signal having a logic level transition in response to a temperature of the semiconductor device reaching about the temperature range upper limit value and the second direction output signal having a logic level transition in response to the temperature of the semiconductor device reaching about the temperature range lower limit value; and

a single counter circuit coupled to receive the first direction output signal and the second direction output signal and provide a count value, the single counter circuit incrementally changes the count value by an incremental amount in a first direction in response to the first direction output signal and incrementally changes the count value by the incremental amount in a second direction in response to the second direction output signal.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1, further including:

the temperature sensor circuit is coupled to receive the count value, the count value sets the temperature range upper limit value.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 2, wherein:

the count value sets the temperature range lower limit value.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 1, further including:

a count limit detector coupled to receive the count value and provide a first count limit signal, the first count limit signal indicates the single counter circuit has reached a count limit in the first direction.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 4, wherein:

the temperature sensor circuit is coupled to receive the first count limit signal, the first direction output signal prevented from having a logic level transition in response to the first count limit signal.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 5, further including:

the count limit detector includes a first count limit circuit coupled to receive the count value and provide the first count limit signal.

7. The semiconductor device, of claim 6, wherein:

the count limit detector provides a second count limit signal, the second count limit signal indicates the single counter has reached a count limit in the second direction.

8. The semiconductor device of claim 7, further including:

the temperature sensor circuit is coupled to receive the second count limit signal, the second direction output signal prevented from having a logic level transition in response to the second count limit signal.

9. The semiconductor device of claim 8, further including:

the count limit detector includes a second count limit circuit coupled to receive the count value and provide the second count limit signal.

10. The semiconductor device of claim 1, further including:

a count transition detector coupled to receive a least significant bit of the count value and provide a count transition pulse signal in response to a logic transition of the least significant bit of the count value.

11. The semiconductor device of claim 10, further including:

the temperature sensor circuit is coupled to receive the count transition pulse signal.

12. The semiconductor device, of claim 11, wherein:

the temperature sensor circuit is disabled in response to the count transition pulse signal.

13. The semiconductor device of claim 12, wherein the first direction output signal has a low logic level in response to the count transition pulse signal.

14. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein:

wherein the temperature range upper limit value and the temperature range lower limit value change in response to the incremental change in the count value.

15. The semiconductor device of claim 14, wherein

the temperature sensor circuit includes a variable resistor coupled to receive the count value, the variable resistor includes a resistance value that changes in response to the incremental change of the count value.

16. The semiconductor device of claim 1, further including:

a performance parameter table coupled to receive the count value, the performance parameter table provides performance parameters addressed by the count value.

17. The semiconductor device of claim 16, further including:

performance parameter adjusted circuits coupled to receive the performance parameters, the performance parameter adjusted circuits have operational aspects adjusted in response to the values of the performance parameters.

18. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein:

the semiconductor device is a semiconductor memory device.

19. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein:

the semiconductor device is a dynamic random access memory device.

20. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein:

the semiconductor device is a non-volatile semiconductor memory device.