Semiconductor device comprising an in-chip active heat transfer system
AssigneeAdvanced Micro Devices, Inc.
InventorTobias Letz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
By providing thermoelectric elements, such as Peltier elements, in a semiconductor device, the overall heat management may be increased. In some illustrative embodiments, the corresponding active cooling/heating systems may be used in a stacked chip configuration to establish an efficient thermally conductive path between temperature critical circuit portions and a heat sink of the stacked chip configuration.
Claims25
A stacked chip configuration, comprising:
- a first chip comprising a first substrate and first device features formed above said first substrate;
- a second chip positioned above said first chip and comprising a second substrate and second device features formed above said second substrate, at least some of said second device features forming a current driven heat transfer system;
- and
- a heat sink located above said second chip and thermally coupled to said current driven heat transfer system.
A semiconductor device, comprising:
- a first substrate comprising an electric circuit representing a current driven heat transfer system configured to provide at least one of a heating effect and a cooling effect a specified portion of said semiconductor device positioned above said first substrate;
- and
- a second substrate comprising a functional circuit portion thermally coupled to said specified portion of said semiconductor device, wherein said second substrate is positioned below said first substrate so as to form a stacked chip configuration.
A method of controlling temperature in a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
- providing a current driven heat transfer system in a chip, wherein said current driven heat transfer system is thermally connected to a first temperature reservoir and a second temperature reservoir located in said chip;
- determining a temperature of one of said first and second temperature reservoirs by obtaining a voltage signal from said current driven heat transfer system;
- and
- operating said current driven heat transfer system to cool one of said first and second temperature reservoirs when said semiconductor device is in a specified operating phase.
A method of controlling temperature in a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
- providing a current driven heat transfer system in a first chip, wherein said current driven heat transfer system is thermally connected to a first temperature reservoir and a second temperature reservoir located in said first chip, and said first temperature reservoir is thermally coupled to a functional circuit portion of said semiconductor device that is formed in a second chip;
- operating said current driven heat transfer system to cool one of said first and second temperature reservoirs when said semiconductor device is in a specified operating phase.
A method of controlling temperature in a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
- providing a current driven heat transfer system in a chip, said current driven heat transfer system thermally connected to a first temperature reservoir and a second temperature reservoir located in said chip;
- obtaining a temperature induced voltage from said current driven heat transfer system;
- using said temperature induced voltage to supply a functional circuit portion of said semiconductor device, and
- operating said current driven heat transfer system to cool one of said first and second temperature reservoirs when said semiconductor device is in a specified operating phase.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.