Patent · US Expired

Semiconductor circuit temperature monitoring and controlling apparatus and method

US6230497A · kind A · utility

122Cited by
9References
33Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 6, 1999
Grant dateMay 15, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 6, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L2924/0002
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for monitoring and controlling temperatures at a semiconductor circuit (22) by an array (32) of thermoelectric cooler cells (34) which are disposed proximate the semiconductor circuit (22). At least one thermoelectric cooler (38) is located at the individual thermoelectric cooler cells (34) for removing and adding heat from cell areas associated with the thermoelectric coolers. A memory device (50) is associated with the cooler cells (34) and stores operational settings for the cooler cells. A controller (28) is coupled with the thermoelectric cooler cells (34) to individually control the operational settings for the cooler cells in the array (32).

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