Temperature stabilization system and chip

Abstract

The present invention discloses a temperature stabilization system and chip. The temperature stabilization system includes a temperature sensing circuit, a control circuit, and a heating circuit. According to the temperature stabilization system of the present invention, the temperature sensing circuit generates a characterization signal representing the external ambient temperature or the temperature of the die based on the external ambient temperature and the temperature of the die. The control circuit generates a voltage signal based on the characterization signal and adjusts a reference voltage signal or a voltage signal according to the target temperature of the die to output a control signal based on the reference voltage signal and the voltage signal. The heating circuit stabilizes the temperature of the die to the target temperature based on the control signal. The overall temperature stabilization system can set multiple target temperatures and stabilizes the die temperature at the target temperature through a negative feedback loop, thereby reducing the sensitivity of chip performance to changes in the external ambient temperature.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of integrated circuits, and in particular to a temperature stabilization system and a chip. Background Art

[0002] The performance of many chip products is currently affected by ambient temperature. Drastic fluctuations in the operating environment can cause a certain degree of deviation in key chip performance parameters. Especially for high-precision chip products, sophisticated circuit design or calibration schemes are often required to minimize the impact of ambient temperature fluctuations on performance indicators.

[0003] Chips generate heat primarily through the power consumption of on-chip components during operation. Heat is dissipated primarily through heat exchange between the top of the package and the outside air, and through heat exchange between the bottom of the package and the pins and the circuit board. In other words, the package acts as a medium for heat exchange between the chip and the external environment.

[0004] For chip products, the packaging material will indicate the thermal resistance between the external environment and the die. The die can be regarded as a heat source, and the heat power of the die itself is regarded as the heat source power. The external environment temperature T under a certain heat source power can be calculated based on the size of the package thermal resistance. A and the temperature T on the die j Under the same chip heating power, the greater the package thermal resistance, the greater the difference between the external ambient temperature and the internal die temperature.

[0005] How to provide a temperature stabilization control system to reduce the impact of temperature changes in the external environment of chip products on the chip itself has become an urgent problem to be solved in this field.

[0006] The information disclosed in this background technology section is only intended to enhance understanding of the overall background of the invention and should not be regarded as an admission or any form of suggestion that the information constitutes the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a temperature stabilization system that can keep the internal temperature of the chip relatively stable by controlling the temperature of the die when the external ambient temperature or the temperature of the die changes, thereby greatly reducing the sensitivity of the chip performance parameters to the temperature environment.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, an embodiment of the present invention provides a temperature stabilization system, comprising: a temperature sensing circuit, a control circuit, and a heating circuit.

[0009] The temperature sensing circuit generates a characterization signal for characterizing the external ambient temperature or the temperature of the die based on the external ambient temperature and the temperature of the die; the control circuit generates a feedback voltage signal based on the characterization signal, and adjusts the reference voltage signal or the feedback voltage signal according to the target temperature of the die to output a control signal based on the reference voltage signal and the feedback voltage signal; the heating circuit stabilizes the temperature of the die to the target temperature based on the control signal.

[0010] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the temperature sensing circuit includes a first MOS transistor, a first resistor, a second resistor, a third resistor, a first transistor, a second transistor, and an operational amplifier;

[0011] The base and collector of the first transistor are connected to the first end of the first resistor and the first input terminal of the operational amplifier, the base and collector of the second transistor are connected to the first end of the third resistor, and the emitters of the first transistor and the second transistor are connected to the ground voltage; or

[0012] The base of the first transistor is connected to the collector and is also connected to a ground voltage, the base of the second transistor is connected to the collector and is also connected to a ground voltage, the emitter of the first transistor is connected to a first end of a first resistor and a first input end of an operational amplifier, and the emitter of the second transistor is connected to a first end of a third resistor;

[0013] The ratio of the number of the first triode to the number of the second triode is 1:N, N≥2;

[0014] The second end of the third resistor is connected to the second input end of the operational amplifier and the first end of the second resistor, the output end of the operational amplifier is connected to the gate of the first MOS transistor, the source of the first MOS transistor is connected to the power supply voltage, and the second end of the first resistor and the second end of the second resistor are connected to the drain of the first MOS transistor.

[0015] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the control circuit includes:

[0016] An acquisition unit, configured to acquire a characteristic signal generated by the temperature sensing circuit and output an acquisition signal;

[0017] The resistance unit is used to convert the collected signal into a feedback voltage signal;

[0018] The error amplifier has a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal receives the feedback voltage signal, the second input terminal receives a reference voltage signal, and the output terminal outputs a control signal based on the feedback voltage signal and the reference voltage signal.

[0019] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the acquisition unit includes a current mirror circuit.

[0020] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the resistance unit includes one or more resistors, and the multiple resistors are connected in series and / or in parallel. The total resistance of the resistance unit is adjusted by short-circuiting the two ends of one or more resistors or disconnecting the shorted two ends.

[0021] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, two ends of one or more resistors are connected via a fuse or a switch.

[0022] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the reference voltage signal has a plurality of voltage values ​​corresponding to different target temperatures.

[0023] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the heating circuit includes a power tube and a heating element, the gate of the power tube is used to receive a control signal, the source of the power tube is connected to a power supply voltage, and the heating element is connected to the drain of the power tube.

[0024] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the heating element is one or more of a resistor, a diode or a transistor, and / or the power tube is a MOS tube, a transistor or an IGBT module.

[0025] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the reference voltage signal is generated by a temperature sensing circuit.

[0026] The invention also discloses a chip comprising the temperature stabilization system.

[0027] Compared to existing technologies, the temperature stabilization system and chip according to embodiments of the present invention utilize a temperature sensing circuit to generate a characteristic signal representing the external ambient temperature or the die temperature based on the external ambient temperature and the die temperature. A control circuit generates a voltage signal based on the characteristic signal and adjusts a reference voltage signal or voltage signal according to the die's target temperature to output a control signal based on the reference voltage signal and the voltage signal. A heating circuit stabilizes the die temperature to the target temperature based on the control signal. The overall temperature stabilization system can set multiple target temperatures and maintains the die temperature at the target temperature through a negative feedback loop, reducing the sensitivity of chip performance to changes in the external ambient temperature. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 4 is a system principle diagram of a temperature stabilization system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 FIG. 4 is a circuit schematic diagram of a temperature sensing circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 3 FIG. 4 is a circuit schematic diagram of a control circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 4 4 is a circuit diagram of a heating circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, but it should be understood that the protection scope of the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments.

[0033] Unless expressly stated otherwise, throughout the specification and claims, the term "comprise" or variations such as "include" or "comprising", etc., will be understood to include the stated elements or components but not to exclude other elements or other components.

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown, a temperature stabilization system includes a temperature sensing circuit 10 , a control circuit 20 and a heating circuit 30 .

[0035] The temperature sensing circuit 10 is used to sense the external ambient temperature and the temperature of the die, and to generate a characterizing signal for characterizing the external ambient temperature or the temperature of the die. The characterizing signal can be a voltage signal or a current signal. In this embodiment, the characterizing signal is a current signal. The control circuit 20 generates a feedback voltage signal based on the characterizing signal and adjusts the reference voltage signal or voltage signal according to the target temperature of the die to output a control signal based on the reference voltage signal and the feedback voltage signal. The heating circuit 30 stabilizes the temperature of the die to the target temperature based on the control signal.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the external ambient temperature changes, the temperature sensing circuit 10 senses the change in the external ambient temperature and transmits the change in the form of a voltage signal or a current signal to the control circuit 20. The control circuit 20 compares the voltage signal or the current signal with a set reference voltage signal, and transmits the deviation value between the voltage signal or the current signal and the set reference voltage signal to the heating circuit 30 for heating.

[0037] When the temperature of the die changes, the voltage signal or current signal IPTAT output by the temperature sensing circuit 10 will also change and be transmitted to the control circuit 20 to control the heating circuit 30, thereby forming a closed-loop temperature control.

[0038] Among them, such as Figure 2As shown, the temperature sensing circuit 10 includes a first MOS transistor M1 , a first resistor R1 , a second resistor R2 , a third resistor R3 , a first transistor Q1 , a second transistor Q2 , and an operational amplifier A1 .

[0039] Specifically, the base of the first transistor Q1 is connected to the collector and is also connected to the first end of the first resistor R1 and the first input end of the operational amplifier A1. The base of the second transistor Q2 is connected to the collector and is also connected to the first end of the third resistor R3. The emitters of the first transistor Q1 and the second transistor Q2 are connected to the ground voltage.

[0040] The second end of the third resistor R3 is connected to the second input end of the operational amplifier A1 and the first end of the second resistor R2. The output end of the operational amplifier A1 is connected to the gate of the first MOS transistor M1, and the source of the first MOS transistor M1 is connected to the power supply voltage. The second end of the first resistor R1 and the second end of the second resistor R2 are connected to the drain of the first MOS transistor M1 and can output a reference voltage signal.

[0041] The first input terminal of the first transistor Q1 is a negative input terminal, and the second input terminal of the second transistor Q2 is a positive input terminal. In other embodiments, the first input terminal of the first transistor Q1 is a positive input terminal, and the second input terminal of the second transistor Q2 is a negative input terminal.

[0042] In other embodiments, the first transistor Q1 and the second transistor Q2 may be PNP transistors. That is, the base of the first transistor Q1 is connected to the collector and also to the ground voltage, the base of the second transistor Q2 is connected to the collector and also to the ground voltage, the emitter of the first transistor Q1 is connected to the first end of the first resistor R1 and the first input end of the operational amplifier A1, and the emitter of the second transistor Q2 is connected to the first end of the third resistor R3.

[0043] In this embodiment, the first transistor Q1 and the second transistor Q2 are connected in a diode form, and the number ratio of the first transistor Q1 and the second transistor Q2 is 1:N, where N≥2. The voltage at the first end of the first resistor R1 and the voltage at the connection point formed by the second end of the third resistor R3 and the first end of the second resistor R2 are clamped by the operational amplifier A1, thereby generating a voltage drop ΔVBE across the third resistor R3 ( Where k is the Boltzmann constant, q is the electron charge, and T is the temperature), thus generating a current (i.e., a characterizing signal) on the third resistor R3 that changes with the external ambient temperature and the temperature of the die. The magnitude of this current is

[0044] In other embodiments, some components in the temperature sensing circuit 10 may be replaced with components having a negative temperature coefficient, thereby generating a current with a negative temperature variation on the third resistor R3.

[0045] like Figure 3 As shown, the control circuit 20 includes: an acquisition unit 21, a resistance unit 22 and an error amplifier Op.

[0046] The error amplifier Op has a first input terminal, a second input terminal, and an output terminal. In this embodiment, the first input terminal is a negative input terminal, and the second input terminal is a positive input terminal. In other embodiments, the first input terminal may also be a positive input terminal, and the second input terminal may also be a negative input terminal. The first input terminal of the error amplifier Op is connected to the acquisition unit 21 and the resistor unit 22, and the second input terminal of the error amplifier Op is connected to the reference voltage signal VREF.

[0047] The acquisition unit 21 is used to acquire the characteristic signal generated by the temperature sensing circuit 10 and output an acquisition signal IPTAT. The resistor unit 22 is used to convert the acquisition signal IPTAT into a feedback voltage signal. The first input terminal of the error amplifier Op receives the feedback voltage signal, and the second input terminal of the error amplifier Op receives the reference voltage signal VREF. The output terminal of the error amplifier Op outputs a control signal VOUT based on the feedback voltage signal and the reference voltage signal VREF.

[0048] In this embodiment, the acquisition unit 21 is a current mirror circuit, which proportionally copies the current generated by the second resistor R2 to the resistor unit 22. In other embodiments, other acquisition circuits capable of acquiring the current on the second resistor R2 may also be used.

[0049] In this embodiment, the resistance unit 22 includes one or more resistors, which are connected in series and / or in parallel. The total resistance of the resistance unit 22 is adjusted by shorting or disconnecting the two ends of one or more resistors. The two ends of one or more resistors are connected via a fuse or switch, which is opened or closed based on a tuning code. The total resistance of the resistance unit 22 is adjusted by varying the number of resistors shorted or disconnected. By adjusting the total resistance of the resistance unit 22, the feedback voltage signal can be adjusted. In other embodiments, the resistance unit 22 can also be implemented using other circuits capable of changing resistance, and the adjustment method is not limited to using a tuning code to control a switch or fuse.

[0050] The acquisition signal IPTAT transmitted from the acquisition unit 21 flows through the resistor unit 22 and generates a voltage signal at the negative input terminal of the error amplifier Op: α is the replication ratio of the acquisition unit 21, R Cis the total resistance of the resistor unit 22. When the voltage signal at the negative input terminal of the error amplifier Op is lower than the reference voltage signal VREF, the control signal outputted from the output terminal VOUT of the error amplifier Op will be pulled high, otherwise the control signal will be pulled low.

[0051] In actual use, the target temperature of the die can be changed according to the use environment. For different target temperatures of the die, on the one hand, the reference voltage signal VREF can be fixed, and the total resistance of the resistance unit 22 is V os The error amplifier Op is input offset voltage. The total resistance of the resistor unit 22 corresponding to different temperature ranges is calculated. By adjusting the total resistance of the resistor unit 22, the voltage signal at the negative input of the error amplifier Op is changed, thereby changing the magnitude of the control signal output by the error amplifier Op, thereby achieving multi-level adjustment of the target temperature of the die. Alternatively, the total resistance of the resistor unit 22 can be fixed, and a reference voltage signal VREF having multiple voltage values ​​corresponding to different target temperatures can be selected and varied to achieve multi-level adjustment of the target temperature of the die. The reference voltage signal VREF can be generated by the temperature sensing circuit 10 and adjusted by sampling, voltage division, and other circuits. Alternatively, the reference voltage signal VREF can be generated by another reference voltage generation circuit. To ensure the accuracy of the reference voltage signal VREF, the reference voltage signal VREF can be temperature calibrated by a calibration circuit to ensure that the reference voltage signal VREF is not affected by temperature.

[0052] The input offset voltage of the error amplifier Op and operational amplifier A1 causes a deviation between the actual target temperature of the die and the theoretical target temperature. This deviation can be considered a temperature offset. By controlling the offset voltage of the error amplifier Op and operational amplifier A1 themselves, the resulting temperature offset can be controlled.

[0053] like Figure 4 As shown, the heating circuit 30 includes a power transistor M2 and a heating element 31. The gate of the power transistor M2 is used to receive the control signal output by the output terminal VOUT of the error amplifier Op, the source of the power transistor M2 is connected to the power supply voltage, and the heating element 31 is connected to the drain of the power transistor M2.

[0054] In this embodiment, the heating element 31 is preferably a resistor. In other embodiments, the heating element 31 can be a component that can generate heat, such as a diode or a transistor, or a combination of two or three of a resistor, a diode, and a transistor.

[0055] In this embodiment, the power tube M2 is a P-channel MOS power tube. In other embodiments, the power tube M2 may also be an N-channel MOS power tube, an NPN transistor, a PNP transistor, or an IGBT module.

[0056] When the control signal output by the error amplifier Op is pulled high, the gate-source voltage of the power tube M2 |V GS | becomes smaller, the power tube M2 is limited in opening, and the drain-source current of the power tube M2 |I DS | becomes smaller, the thermal power P output by the heating circuit 30 T =V DD *|I DS |Decrease, V DD If the power supply voltage is low, the heating effect will be weakened, and vice versa, the output heat power will increase, causing the die temperature to rise.

[0057] In this embodiment, it is assumed that the external ambient temperature is T A , the initial temperature of the die is T j The package thermal resistance is θ (the thermal resistance θ reflects the material's ability to hinder heat flow conduction. The larger the thermal resistance θ, the stronger the material's resistance to heat conduction. The acquisition of the external ambient temperature is to reflect the impact of the external ambient temperature change on the die temperature through the package thermal resistance θ). The heating element current in the initial state is I DS , the total thermal power of other modules on the die is P O , then the total heat power of the die can be expressed as V DD *I DS +P O At the corresponding package thermal resistance θ, the temperature difference ΔT generated by the total heat power of the die is (V DD *I DS +P O )*θ. The temperature difference ΔT will generate a current change through the temperature sensing circuit 10 as follows: The voltage change at the negative input of the error amplifier Op is R C The voltage change at the negative input of the error amplifier Op causes the control signal to be pulled high or low, thereby controlling the drain-source current of the power transistor M2 to change the total thermal power of the die.

[0058] When the ambient temperature is low and the initial die temperature is lower than the set target temperature, the control circuit 20 increases the drain-source current of the power transistor M2 to increase the total heat output of the die, raising the die temperature until it reaches the set target temperature. Conversely, if the ambient temperature is high and the initial die temperature is already higher than the set target temperature, the control circuit 20 enters an open-loop state and no additional heating is performed. The die temperature will change with the ambient temperature until it falls below the set target temperature.

[0059] The present invention also discloses a chip comprising the temperature stabilization system.

[0060] The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention are for purposes of illustration and description. These descriptions are not intended to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and it is apparent that many variations and modifications are possible in light of the foregoing teachings. The exemplary embodiments have been selected and described for the purpose of explaining the specific principles of the invention and their practical application, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to realize and utilize a variety of exemplary embodiments of the invention and various options and modifications. The scope of the invention is intended to be defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A temperature stabilization system, characterized in that: include: A temperature sensing circuit generates a characterization signal for characterizing the external environment temperature or the temperature of the die based on the external environment temperature and the temperature of the die; The temperature sensing circuit includes a first MOS tube, a first resistor, a second resistor, a third resistor, a first transistor, a second transistor and an operational amplifier; The base and collector of the first transistor are connected to the first end of the first resistor and the first input terminal of the operational amplifier, the base and collector of the second transistor are connected to the first end of the third resistor, and the emitters of the first transistor and the second transistor are connected to the ground voltage; or The base of the first transistor is connected to the collector and is also connected to a ground voltage, the base of the second transistor is connected to the collector and is also connected to a ground voltage, the emitter of the first transistor is connected to a first end of a first resistor and a first input end of an operational amplifier, and the emitter of the second transistor is connected to a first end of a third resistor; The ratio of the number of the first triode to the number of the second triode is 1:N, N≥2; The second end of the third resistor is connected to the second input end of the operational amplifier and the first end of the second resistor, the output end of the operational amplifier is connected to the gate of the first MOS transistor, the source of the first MOS transistor is connected to the power supply voltage, and the second end of the first resistor and the second end of the second resistor are connected to the drain of the first MOS transistor; a control circuit that generates a feedback voltage signal based on the characterization signal and adjusts the reference voltage signal or the feedback voltage signal according to a target temperature of the die to output a control signal based on the reference voltage signal and the feedback voltage signal; The control circuit comprises: An acquisition unit, configured to acquire a characteristic signal generated by the temperature sensing circuit and output an acquisition signal; The resistance unit is used to convert the collected signal into a feedback voltage signal; an error amplifier having a first input terminal and a second input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal receives the feedback voltage signal, the second input terminal receives a reference voltage signal, and the output terminal outputs a control signal based on the feedback voltage signal and the reference voltage signal; and a heating circuit, stabilizing the temperature of the die to a target temperature based on the control signal; The total resistance of the resistance unit is Among them, VREF is the reference voltage signal, V os is the input offset voltage of the error amplifier, q is the electron charge, R3 is the third resistor, α is the replication ratio of the acquisition unit, k is the Boltzmann constant, T is the temperature, and N is the ratio of the number of the second transistor to the number of the first transistor. Multi-level adjustment of the target temperature can be achieved by adjusting the total resistance of the resistance unit and / or the reference voltage signal.

2. The temperature stabilization system according to claim 1, wherein: The acquisition unit includes a current mirror circuit.

3. The temperature stabilization system according to claim 1, wherein: The resistance unit includes one or more resistors, and the multiple resistors are connected in series and / or in parallel. The total resistance of the resistance unit is adjusted by short-circuiting the two ends of one or more resistors or disconnecting the short-circuited two ends.

4. The temperature stabilization system according to claim 3, wherein: Two ends of one or more resistors are connected via a fuse or a switch.

5. The temperature stabilization system according to claim 1, wherein: The reference voltage signal has a plurality of voltage values ​​corresponding to different target temperatures.

6. The temperature stabilization system according to claim 1, wherein: The heating circuit includes a power tube and a heating element. The gate of the power tube is used to receive a control signal. The source of the power tube is connected to a power supply voltage. The heating element is connected to the drain of the power tube.

7. The temperature stabilization system according to claim 6, wherein: The heating element is one or more of a resistor, a diode or a transistor, and / or the power tube is a MOS tube, a transistor or an IGBT module.

8. The temperature stabilization system according to claim 1, wherein: The reference voltage signal is generated by a temperature sensing circuit.

9. A chip, characterized in that: The method comprises the temperature stabilization system according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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