Temperature detector

• US 20030123520A1
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SA (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SA (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Tesi, Davide
• Granted Patent: US 7,052,179 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/178
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/01 using semiconducting elements having PN junctions G01K7/02, G01K7/16, G01K7/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2884 using dedicated test connectors, test elements or test circuits on the IC under test G01R31/2855 takes precedence

Abstract

An integrated temperature sensor having a first PNP-type bipolar transistor diode-connected between a first terminal and a second terminal of the sensor intended to b connected to a reference supply rail; a resistive element and a second diode-connected PNP-type bipolar transistor, connected in series between a third terminal of the sensor and the second terminal, the second bipolar transistor being larger than the first one; a current-to-voltage conversion element connected between a fourth terminal and the second terminal, the first and third terminals being intended to be connected by a voltage-copying element and the first, second, and fourth terminals being intended to each receive an identical current.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit comprising a temperature sensor for testing an operating temperature range of said circuit, said sensor comprising:

a first PNP-type bipolar transistor diode-connected between a first terminal and a second terminal of the sensor intended to be connected to a reference supply rail;

a resistive element and a second diode-connected PNP-type bipolar transistor, connected in series between a third terminal of the sensor and the second terminal, the second bipolar transistor being larger than the first one;

a current-to-voltage conversion element connected between a fourth terminal and the second terminal, the first and third terminals being intended to be connected by a voltage-copying element and the first, second, and fourth terminals being intended to each receive an identical current.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1, in which said sensor comprises, integrated, three mirror-connected current sources for providing the identical current to the first, second, and fourth terminals, the voltage-copying element being also integrated to the sensor.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the voltage-copying element is a voltage mirror formed of two N-channel MOS transistors.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the conversion element is a resistor.

5. A method for testing an operating temperature range of an integrated circuit of claim 1 and comprising the step of measuring the voltage across the current-to-voltage conversion element.