On chip temperature measuring and monitoring circuit and method
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsRobert L. Franch, Keith A. Jenkins
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Abstract
A device temperature measurement circuit, an integrated circuit (IC) including a device temperature measurement circuit, a method of characterizing device temperature and a method of monitoring temperature. The circuit includes a constant current source and a clamping device. The clamping device selectively shunts current from the constant current source or allows the current to flow through a PN junction, which may be the body to source/drain junction of a field effect transistor (FET). Voltage measurements are taken directly from the PN junction. Junction temperature is determined from measured junction voltage.
Claims6
A device temperature measurement circuit comprising:
- a PN junction in a device;
- a constant current source selectively providing current to said PN junction;
- and
- a clamping device, selectively shunting current from said constant current source, a voltage developing across said clamping device and said constant current source, said voltage indicating junction temperature of said PN junction;
- wherein said clamping device is a field effect transistor (FET) and said PN junction is a FET body to source/drain junction;
- and
- wherein said FET body is P-type silicon body layer in a NFET and said NFET is in a CMOS inverter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.