Resistive hotspot temperature sensor

A temperature sensor for an integrated circuit device, comprising:

• a first resistor stack having a plurality of metal layers separated by a plurality of electrically insulating layers, the metal layers being connected by vias through the electrically insulating layers, wherein the metal layers have a plurality of metal traces separated by electrically insulating material, the metal traces being interconnected at end portions of the metal traces, wherein the first resistor stack has a first temperature coefficient;
• a second resistor stack having at least one metal layer connected to an upper metal layer of the first resistor stack by a via through an electrically insulating layer in the second resistor stack, wherein the second resistor stack has a second temperature coefficient, the first temperature coefficient having an absolute value higher than an absolute value of the second temperature coefficient;
• and
• a temperature sensor circuit associated with the first resistor stack and the second resistor stack, wherein the temperature sensor circuit is configured to assess a differential current between a first voltage across the first resistor stack and a second voltage across the second resistor stack, and wherein the temperature sensor circuit is configured to provide an output indicative of a temperature of the integrated circuit device based on the assessed differential.

A method for determining a temperature of an integrated circuit device, comprising:

• assessing, by a temperature sensor circuit positioned in the integrated circuit device, a differential between a first voltage across a first resistor stack and a second voltage across a second resistor stack, wherein:
• the first resistor stack includes a plurality of metal layers separated by a plurality of electrically insulating layers, the metal layers being connected by vias through the electrically insulating layers, wherein the metal layers have a plurality of metal traces separated by electrically insulating material, the metal traces being interconnected at end portions of the metal traces, and wherein the first resistor stack has a first temperature coefficient;
• and
• the second resistor stack includes at least one metal layer connected to an upper metal layer of the first resistor stack by a via through an electrically insulating layer in the second resistor stack, wherein the second resistor stack has a second temperature coefficient, the first temperature coefficient having an absolute value higher than an absolute value of the second temperature coefficient;
• providing, by the temperature sensor circuit, a voltage signal output corresponding to the assessed differential;
• and
• determining a temperature of the integrated circuit device based on the voltage signal output.