Method and apparatus for sensing on-chip characteristics
US8766703B1 · kind B1 · utility
5Cited by
2References
20Claims
0Family size
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Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 15, 2013 |
| Grant date | Jul 1, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 15, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L22/34
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A sensor circuit performs a method for sensing on-chip characteristics. The method includes generating a first voltage using a drive current through a first set of transistors that are operating in saturation mode and generating a second voltage using subthreshold leakage current from a second set of transistors that are in subthreshold mode. The method further includes comparing the second voltage to the first voltage to sense an on-chip characteristic. The sensed on-chip characteristic can be temperature and/or gate length variation.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.