US 10,883,884 B2Granted

3D thermal detection circuits and methods

AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

InventorsSzu-Lin Liu, Jaw-Juinn Horng, Yung-Chow Peng

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A three-dimensional integrated circuit includes a first layer including at least one sensing element configured to output at least one temperature-dependent voltage; and a second layer disposed vertically with respect to the first layer and coupled to the first layer by at least one via. The second layer includes: a compare circuit configured to generate at least one intermediate voltage in response to comparing the at least one temperature-dependent voltage to a feedback voltage; a control circuit configured to generate at least one control signal in response to the intermediate voltage; and a switching circuit configured to couple a capacitor coupled to a feedback node to one of a first voltage supply and a second voltage supply in response to the at least one control signal to generate an output signal that is based on a temperature sensed by the sensing element.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A three-dimensional integrated circuit, comprising:

a first layer including at least one sensing element configured to output at least one temperature-dependent voltage;
and
a second layer disposed vertically with respect to the first layer and coupled to the first layer by at least one via, the second layer comprising:
a compare circuit configured to generate a first difference voltage and a second difference voltage in response to comparing the at least one temperature-dependent voltage to a feedback voltage;
a control circuit configured to generate a first control signal and a second control signal in response to the first and second difference voltages, respectively, wherein the control circuit comprises a first logic gate having a first input and a second logic gate having a second input, the first input configured to receive the first difference voltage and the second input configured to receive the second difference voltage;
and
a switching circuit configured to selectively charge and discharge a capacitor using a first voltage supply and a second voltage supply, respectively, in response to the at least one control signal so as to generate an output signal that is based on a parameter sensed by the sensing element, wherein the at least one sensing element comprises:
a first switch coupled to a first node disposed between a power supply node and a first resistor, the first switch configured to couple the first node to a first input of compare circuit to generate the first difference voltage;
and
a second switch coupled to a second node disposed between the first resistor and a second resistor, the second switch configured to couple the second node to a second input of the compare circuit to generate the second difference voltage.

7 more elements

A three-dimensional integrated circuit, comprising:

a first layer including a first sensing element configured to output a first temperature-dependent voltage;
a second layer including a second sensing element configured to output a second temperature-dependent voltage;
and
a third layer disposed vertically with respect to the first and second layers and coupled to the first and second layers by at least two through-substrate-vias (TSVs), the third layer including:
a compare circuit configured to generate a first difference voltage in response to comparing the first temperature-dependent voltage to a feedback voltage and generate a second difference voltage in response to comparing the second temperature-dependent voltage to the feedback voltage, wherein the compare circuit comprises a first comparator have a first input configured to receive the first temperature-dependent voltage and a second input configured to receive the feedback voltage and a second comparator having a third input configured to receive the second temperature-dependent voltage and a fourth input configured to receive the feedback voltage;
a control circuit configured to generate first and second control signals in response to the first and second difference voltages, respectively;
and
a switching circuit configured to selectively charge and discharge a capacitor using a first voltage supply and a second voltage supply, respectively, in response to the two control signals so as to generate an output signal that is based on temperatures sensed by the first and second sensing elements.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/378,277Filed 8 Apr 2019 · continuation
Priority: 15 Mar 2017
Published: US 2019/0234807 A11 Aug 2019
Granted: 5 Jan 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

G01K 7/21
In a specially-adapted circuit, e.g. bridge circuit: for modifying the output characteristic, e.g. linearising
G01K 7/20
The element being a linear resistance, e.g. platinum resistance thermometer: in a specially-adapted circuit, e.g. bridge circuit
G01K
Measuring temperature

Family

Application15/460,098Parent of this continuation · filed 15 Mar 2017
US 2019/0234807 A1Pre-grant publication · published 1 Aug 2019
US 10,274,380 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2017/0184459 A1Published application
US 10,883,884 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.