Temperature sensing circuit
US5039878A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 9, 1989 |
| Grant date | Aug 13, 1991 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 9, 2009 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S323/907
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
In order to sense the temperature of an integrated circuit chip, a semiconductor junction device (D1) integrated on the chip is used to generate a first signal (V.sub.1) having a known variation with temperature. A second signal (V.sub.2) is generated by passing a PTAT current (I.sub.2) through a resistor (R1) so that the second signal (V.sub.2) has a known variation with temperature which is opposite in sign to that of the first signal (V.sub.1). The two signals are compared (42) to generate an output signal (OT) which is dependent on whether the temperature of the chip is below or above a predetermined threshold temperature. The current (I.sub.1) through the junction device (D1) is also PTAT, which provides a more accurate definition of the threshold temperature in terms of integrated circuit parameters.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.