Jfet with integrated temperature sensor

A junction field-effect transistor device having an integrated temperature sensor, the junction field-effect transistor device comprising:

• a junction field-effect transistor having a gate;
• a temperature sensor material having a first charge carrier polarity and being implanted into an area of semiconductor material having a second charge carrier polarity, wherein the area is adjacent to the gate of the junction field-effect transistor,
• the temperature sensor material having a thickness between one-tenth (0.1) micrometer and one-half (0.5) micrometer,
• the temperature sensor material containing a plurality of dopants and exhibiting an electrical resistance that increases with a number of ionized ones of the dopants, with the number of ionized dopants increasing with a temperature of the temperature sensor material;
• and
• first and second electrical terminals provided spaced-apart on the temperature sensor material to measure the electrical resistance of the temperature sensor material,
• wherein the electrical resistance measured between the first and second terminals may be translated into a temperature value for the integrated temperature sensor and the junction field-effect transistor, and wherein the integrated temperature sensor is capable of measuring a range of electrical resistance corresponding to a range of temperatures between a room temperature and a temperature at which all the dopants are ionized.

A method of making a junction field-effect transistor device having an integrated temperature sensor, the method comprising:

• providing an area of semiconductor material having a first charge carrier polarity adjacent to a gate of a junction field-effect transistor;
• providing a temperature sensor material having a second charge carrier polarity in the area of semiconductor material, wherein the temperature sensor material contains a plurality of dopants and exhibits an electrical resistance that increases with a number of ionized ones of the dopants, and the number of ionized dopants increases with a temperature of the temperature sensor material;
• and
• providing first and second electrical terminals spaced-apart on the temperature sensor material to measure the electrical resistance of the temperature sensor material;
• wherein the electrical resistance measured between the first and second terminals may be translated into a temperature value for the integrated temperature sensor and the junction field-effect transistor, and the integrated temperature sensor is capable of measuring a range of temperatures between a room temperature and a temperature at which all the dopants are ionized.