Temperature sensor and method for operating a temperature sensor

US6789939B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Infineon Technologies AG · DE

Inventors

• Karl Schrodinger · Berlin, DE
• Jaro Stimma · Berlin, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 13, 2002
• Grant date: Sep 14, 2004
• Expiry date: Aug 17, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01K7/01
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The invention relates to a temperature sensor having a first FET transistor circuit and a second FET transistor circuit and also to a method for operating a temperature sensor. Both FET transistor circuits are operated at an operating point that lies outside the temperature-independent operating point. The difference between the voltages at the first and second FET transistor circuits is evaluated as a measure of the temperature at one of the FET transistor circuits. The invention enables the temperature sensor to provide a relatively large output signal even in the case of only small changes in temperature.