Semiconductor integrated unit
AssigneeNippon Steel Corporation
InventorsShoichi Iwasa, Kouhei Eguchi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A semiconductor integrated circuit device comprising a temperature sensor including an element having a PN junction, an inverter for receiving an output of the temperature sensor, and a controller for controlling supply of an electric energy to a group of MOS integrated circuit elements on the basis of an output of the inverter, wherein the supply of the electric energy to the group of MOS integrated circuit elements is controlled on the basis of the output of the temperature sensor to automatically prevent the breakdown of the internal circuit due to excessive temperature rise by the device itself.
Claims20
A semiconductor integrated circuit device for controlling a supply of electric energy from a power source to a group of MOS integrated circuit elements in response to a temperature detection output signal for preventing a breakdown of said group of MOS integrated circuit elements, comprising:
- a temperature sensor including an element having a PN junction connected between two terminals and a resistor connected to one of the two terminals, in series with said element, for detecting a temperature at said PN junction, thereby generating said temperature detection output signal at the one terminal, the other of the two terminals being connected to a grounding side;
- an inverter for receiving said temperature detection output signal and producing an output signal when the PN, junction temperature rises up to a predetermined critical temperature;
- and
- switching means connected between the power source and said group of MOS integrated circuit elements for continuing the supply of the electric energy to the group of MOS integrated circuit elements in the absence of the output signal of said inverter and interrupting the supply of the electric energy to the group of MOS integrated circuit elements in the presence of the output signal of said inverter.
A semiconductor integrated circuit device for controlling a supply of electric energy from a power source to a group of MOS integrated circuit elements in response to a temperature detection output signal for preventing a breakdown of said group of MOS integrated circuit elements, comprising:
- a temperature sensor having a PN junction diode connected between two terminals and a variable resistor connected to one of the two terminals, in series with said PN junction diode, for detecting a temperature at said PN junction diode and thereby generating said temperature detection output signal at the one terminal, the other of two terminals being connected to a grounding side;
- an inverter for receiving said temperature detection output signal and producing an output signal when the temperature of said junction diode rises up to a predetermined critical temperature, said inverter having a pair of MOS transistors, the temperature detection output signal being inputted to respective gates of said pair of MOS transistors;
- and
- switching means for controlling the supply of the electric energy to said group of MOS integrated circuit elements in response to the output signal of said inverter, said switching means including a MOS transistor connected between the power source and said group of MOS integrated circuit elements, the output signal of said inverter being inputted to a gate of said MOS transistor;
- wherein said MOS transistor continues the supply of the electric energy to the group of MOS integrated circuit elements in the absence of the output signal of said inverter and cuts off the supply of the electric energy to the group of MOS integrated circuit elements in the response to said inverter output signal.
A semiconductor integrated circuit device for controlling a supply of electric energy from a power source to a group of MOS integrated circuit elements in response to a temperature detection output signal for preventing a breakdown of said group of MOS integrated circuit elements, comprising:
- a temperature sensor having a PN junction diode connected between first and second terminals, and a variable resistor connected to the first terminal, in series with said PN junction diode, for detecting a junction temperature of said PN junction diode and thereby generating said temperature detection output signal at the first terminal, said second terminal being connected to a grounding side, said resistor being connected through a third terminal to the power source;
- an inverter for receiving the temperature detection output signal said inverter having a pair of P-channel MOS transistors and N-channel MOS transistors, the temperature detection output signal being inputted to respective gates of said MOS transistors, a drain of said P-channel MOS transistor and a drain of said N-channel transistor providing an output signal of said inverter when the PN junction temperature rises to a predetermined critical temperature;
- and
- switching means for controlling the supply of the electric energy to said group of MOS integrated circuit elements on a basis of the output signal of said inverter, said switching means including a P-channel MOS transistor connected between the power source and said group of MOS integrated circuit elements, the output signal of said inverter being inputted to a gate of said P-channel MOS transistor, a drain of said P-channel MOS transistor being connected to said group of MOS integrated circuit elements;
- wherein said P-channel MOS transistor continues the supply of the electric energy to the group of MOS integrated circuit elements in the absence of the output signal of said inverter and cuts off the supply of the electric energy to said group of MOS integrated circuit elements in the presence said inverter output signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.