Patent · US Expired

Temperature detection of power semiconductors performed by a co-packaged analog integrated circuit

US6092927A · kind A · utility

9Cited by
15References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateNov 10, 1994
Grant dateJul 25, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 10, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01K7/01
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus for determining the temperature of a discrete power semiconductor from an analog integrated circuit that is copackaged with the power semiconductor on a heat sink, given a knowledge of the thermal capacitances of the power semiconductor and of the analog integrated circuit, the thermal resistance between the power semiconductor and the analog integrated circuit, the thermal resistances between the power semiconductor and the heat sink and between the analog integrated circuit and the heat sink. The method includes determining the voltage across the power semiconductor and the current through the power semiconductor, thereby determining the power dissipated in the power semiconductor, determining the temperature of the analog integrated circuit, determining the heat sink temperature, using the thermal capacitances, heat sink temperature and thermal resistances to set coefficients of an asymptotic observer system, providing the voltage and current and the temperature of the analog integrated circuit to the asymptotic observer system, and providing as an output from the asymptotic observer system the temperature of the discrete power semiconductor.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.