Temperature sensor circuit and DDR3 semiconductor memory chip

Abstract

The invention provides a temperature sensor circuit which is used for detecting specific temperature in a DDR3 semiconductor memory chip and comprises a temperature change sensing module which is used for detecting temperature change, inputting power supply voltage and outputting temperature sensing voltage corresponding to the temperature change; a reference temperature module that outputs a reference voltage based on a specific temperature to be detected; and a comparator which receives the temperature sensing voltage output from the temperature change sensing module and the reference voltage output from the reference temperature module, and compares the temperature sensing voltage and the reference voltage to determine whether the temperature reaches a specific temperature to be detected. If the sensitivity of the temperature-induced voltage with respect to a change in the power supply voltage is set as a first sensitivity and the sensitivity of the reference voltage with respect to a change in the power supply voltage is set as a second sensitivity, the first sensitivity and the second sensitivity are configured to approach each other.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor integrated circuits, and in particular to a temperature sensor circuit and a DDR3 semiconductor memory chip having the temperature sensor circuit. Background Art

[0002] Semiconductor memory chips are electronic components used to store data and are widely used in computers, mobile phones, embedded systems and other devices. Semiconductor memory chips can be divided into many types according to the way and purpose of storing data.

[0003] DDR3 is a type of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) in semiconductor memory chips. Its full name is "Double Data Rate Type 3 Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory". It is used as main memory in computer systems to store and quickly access data, which is very important for processors to execute programs and process data. Its feature is the multiple rate advantage. DDR3 can transmit data on the rising and falling edges of the clock signal, which is essentially twice the bus clock frequency. The operating voltage of DDR3 is 1.5V, which further reduces power consumption and heat generation compared to 1.8V of DDR2. This is an improvement that is particularly suitable for laptops and other mobile devices. DDR3 can provide data transfer rates of up to 2133MT / s, which significantly improves its performance when processing intensive data tasks, and DDR3 modules can support larger memory capacities, generally ranging from 512MB to 16GB, making it suitable for a wide range of applications from ordinary PCs to high-performance workstations. DDR3 is widely used in personal computers and notebooks, servers and data centers, embedded systems and consumer electronics. Overall, DDR3 provides a good balance between power consumption, performance, and capacity for modern computers.

[0004] DDR3 modules are usually equipped with a temperature sensor (ie, a temperature sensor circuit) to monitor the operating temperature of the module and ensure that it operates within a safe temperature range. This is to prevent performance degradation or hardware damage caused by overheating.

[0005] For DDR3 semiconductor memory chips (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "DDR3"), due to the leakage current of the memory cell, the system needs to periodically refresh the data of the memory cell. The reason is that the leakage current of the memory cell is greater at high temperature, and the data is lost faster, so the system needs to perform a faster refresh operation on the memory cell at high temperature to prevent data loss. Based on the above system requirements, the temperature sensor module is very important. It is responsible for detecting the temperature and periodically converting the temperature information into digital information. The system refresh will adaptively select the refresh cycle according to the current temperature information.

[0006] Specifically, a temperature sensor module (i.e., a temperature sensor circuit) is needed to detect a specific temperature (i.e., the high temperature mentioned above). When the high temperature is detected, the DDR3 is refreshed faster (i.e., the refresh rate is increased) to prevent data loss. When the high temperature is not detected or the temperature returns to below the high temperature, the refresh rate of the DDR3 is changed to a normal rate. Summary of the invention

[0007] Technical Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0008] The temperature sensor circuit in the existing DDR3 is sensitive to the change of the power supply voltage. Therefore, when the power supply voltage changes slightly, the detection error of the temperature sensor circuit is also large. In this case, in the detection of a specific temperature (i.e., high temperature detection), the detection error of the temperature sensor circuit will also become larger, resulting in the inability to increase the refresh rate of DDR3 in time, thereby causing data loss.

[0009] The present invention is completed in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a temperature sensor circuit and a DDR3 semiconductor memory chip equipped with the temperature sensor circuit, which can accurately detect a specific temperature even when there is a slight change or fluctuation in the power supply voltage, and based on the detected specific temperature, the refresh rate of the semiconductor memory chip can be increased to avoid data loss.

[0010] Technical solutions adopted to solve technical problems

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, a temperature sensor circuit is provided for detecting a specific temperature in a DDR3 semiconductor memory chip, characterized in that it includes: a temperature change sensing module, which is used to detect temperature changes, has a power supply voltage as input, and outputs a temperature sensing voltage corresponding to the temperature change; a reference temperature module, which outputs a reference reference voltage based on the specific temperature to be detected; and a comparator, which receives the temperature sensing voltage output from the temperature change sensing module and the reference reference voltage output from the reference temperature module, and compares them to determine whether the temperature reaches the specific temperature to be detected, and if the sensitivity of the temperature sensing voltage to the change of the power supply voltage is set to a first sensitivity and the sensitivity of the reference reference voltage to the change of the power supply voltage is set to a second sensitivity, the first sensitivity and the second sensitivity are configured to be close to each other.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, a DDR3 semiconductor memory chip is provided, characterized in that it includes: a DDR3 memory, which includes multiple memory chips to form a memory array and is responsible for actual data storage; a central processing unit, which initiates data processing and calculation tasks and interacts with the DDR3 memory through a controller; a controller, which is located between the central processing unit and the DDR3 memory and is responsible for managing read and write requests to the DDR3 memory and ensuring effective transmission of commands, addresses and data between the central processing unit and the DDR3 memory; a data bus, which is responsible for transmitting data between the central processing unit, the controller and the DDR3 memory; an address bus, which is used to transmit the DDR3 memory address and inform the DDR3 memory of the specific unit to be accessed; a command bus, which sends read, write and other control commands to the DDR3 memory to perform corresponding operations; a power management unit, which is responsible for providing a stable power supply for the entire DDR3 memory and optimizing energy consumption; and the above-mentioned temperature sensor circuit, which is used to detect a specific temperature.

[0013] Effects of the Invention

[0014] According to the temperature sensor circuit and the DDR3 semiconductor memory chip having the temperature sensor circuit disclosed in the present invention, even when the power supply voltage changes or fluctuates slightly, the specific temperature can be accurately detected, and the refresh rate of the semiconductor memory chip can be increased based on the detected specific temperature, thereby avoiding data loss. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The present disclosure may be better understood by describing exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] Figure 1 : is a diagram showing a conventional temperature sensor circuit.

[0017] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the operating state of a comparator.

[0018] Figure 3 1 is a schematic diagram showing how the temperature inversion point is affected by power supply voltage fluctuations at a tt process corner in an existing temperature sensor circuit.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing a temperature sensor circuit according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 1 is a schematic diagram showing the influence of power supply voltage fluctuation on the temperature inversion point at the tt process angle in the temperature sensor circuit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 6 The present invention is a schematic diagram showing how the temperature switching point is affected by power supply voltage fluctuations at various process corners in an existing temperature sensor circuit.

[0022] Figure 7 1 is a schematic diagram showing how the temperature inversion point is affected by power supply voltage fluctuation at each process corner in the temperature sensor circuit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing a temperature sensor circuit according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0024] Fig. 9 This is a diagram showing a temperature sensor circuit according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0025] Description of labels:

[0026] 100, 100A, 100B, 100C temperature sensor circuit, 1000, 1000A temperature change sensing module, 2000, 2000A comparator, 3000, 3000A, 3000C reference temperature module, 1001A power supply voltage feedback module, Rptat positive temperature coefficient resistor, Rctat negative temperature coefficient resistor, R1, R2, R3, R4 resistors, MN1, MN2, MN3, MN4 NMOS transistors. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The specific implementation methods of the present disclosure will be described below. It should be noted that in the specific description of these implementation methods, in order to provide a concise description, it is impossible for this specification to provide a detailed description of all the features of the actual implementation methods. It should be understood that in the actual implementation of any implementation method, just as in the process of any engineering project or design project, in order to achieve the specific goals of the developer and to meet system-related or business-related restrictions, various specific decisions are often made, and this will also change from one implementation method to another. In addition, it can also be understood that although the efforts made in this development process may be complex and lengthy, for ordinary technicians in the field related to the content disclosed by the present disclosure, some changes in design, manufacturing or production based on the technical content disclosed in the present disclosure are just conventional technical means, and should not be understood as insufficient content of the present disclosure.

[0028] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in the claims and the specification shall have the usual meaning understood by persons with ordinary skills in the technical field to which the present disclosure belongs. The words "first", "second" and similar words used in the patent application specification and the claims of the present disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. Words such as "one" or "one" do not indicate a quantitative limitation, but indicate the existence of at least one. Words such as "include" or "comprise" and similar words mean that the elements or objects appearing before "include" or "comprise" include the elements or objects listed after "include" or "comprise" and their equivalent elements, and do not exclude other elements or objects. Words such as "connect" or "connected" and similar words are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, nor are they limited to direct or indirect connections.

[0029] In the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, all embodiments and preferred embodiments mentioned herein can be combined with each other to form a new technical solution. In the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, all technical features and preferred features mentioned herein can be combined with each other to form a new technical solution.

[0030] Hereinafter, a temperature sensor circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention and a DDR3 semiconductor memory chip including the temperature sensor circuit will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] Figure 1 is a diagram showing a conventional temperature sensor circuit 100 .

[0032] Figure 1The temperature sensor circuit 100 shown is used for a DDR3 semiconductor memory chip, and is used to detect a specific temperature and output a detection signal. Specifically, when it is detected that the temperature reaches the specific temperature, the refresh rate of the DDR3 is increased to prevent data loss, and when it is not detected that the temperature reaches the specific temperature, the original refresh rate is maintained.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, the conventional temperature sensor circuit 100 includes a temperature change sensing module 1000 , a comparator 2000 and a reference temperature module 3000 .

[0034] The temperature change sensing module 1000 is used to detect the change of temperature. It has a power supply voltage as input and outputs a temperature sensing voltage corresponding to the change of temperature. The temperature change sensing module 1000 includes an NMOS transistor MN1 (first NMOS transistor) as a current source and a positive temperature coefficient resistor Rptat connected to MN1. A positive temperature coefficient resistor (PTC) is a special type of resistor whose resistance value increases with the increase of temperature. This characteristic makes PTC resistors have a variety of applications in circuits, especially in overcurrent protection and temperature sensing.

[0035] A comparator 2000 is an electronic circuit or device that compares the magnitude of two voltage or current signals and outputs a digital signal indicating which input is greater. It is very common in both analog and digital circuits, especially in signal processing, data conversion, and control systems.

[0036] In addition, the reference temperature module 3000 outputs a reference voltage based on a specific temperature to be detected, and includes a resistor R1 (first resistor) and a resistor R2 (second resistor).

[0037] Based on the characteristics of the positive temperature coefficient resistor Rptat and the comparator 2000, in the temperature sensor circuit 100, the positive temperature coefficient resistor Rptat is used to sense the change in temperature, and it is expressed as a change in the resistance value of the positive temperature coefficient resistor Rptat, and then the change in resistance value is converted into a voltage ( Figure 1 Next, based on the specific temperature to be detected, the specific temperature is also measured with voltage ( vre f), and the comparator 2000 is used to compare the voltage vrt with the voltage vref to obtain an output TQI (a digital signal, that is, 0 or 1), so that it can be determined whether the DDR3 reaches a specific temperature based on the output TQI.

[0038] The voltage vrt is the temperature sensing voltage described above, and the voltage verf is the reference voltage described above. The comparator 2000 receives the temperature sensing voltage output from the temperature change sensing module 1000 and the reference voltage output from the reference temperature module 3000, and compares them to determine whether the temperature reaches the specific temperature to be detected.

[0039] Next, the operating principle of the temperature sensor circuit 100 will be described in detail.

[0040] like Figure 1 As shown, the power supply voltage vtqi is input to the temperature change sensing module 1000, and the temperature change sensing module 1000 outputs a voltage vrt (ie, a temperature sensing voltage) to the comparator 2000. The voltage vrt corresponds to the change in temperature, and the specific corresponding relationship will be described below.

[0041] In the temperature change sensing module 1000 , the NMOS transistor MN1 is used as a current source, which is controlled by the voltage “Vrbias_tmp”, and Is1 is a constant value, as shown in the following equation (1-1).

[0042]

[0043] Among them, I s 1 is the drain current of the NMOS transistor. K n 1 is the transconductance parameter of the NMOS transistor, usually expressed as, Among them, μ n is the electron mobility, C ox is the gate oxide capacitance, W is the width of the transistor, and L is the length of the transistor. Vrbias_tmp is the gate bias voltage. VTH MN1 is the threshold voltage of the NMOS transistor.

[0044] Due to Kn1, Vrbias_tmp and VTH MN1 They are all constants, so Is1 is a constant and is represented by constant.

[0045] According to formula (1-1), vrt can be expressed by the following formula (1-2).

[0046] vrt=vtqi-R ptat ×I s1 (1-2)

[0047] Among them, since the power supply voltage vtqi is a constant and the above Is1 is also a constant, the output voltage vrt depends on the resistance value of the resistor Rptat. Therefore, the change of the output voltage vrt can be used to represent the change of the resistance value of the positive temperature coefficient resistor Rptat (i.e., the change of DDR3 temperature). The voltage vrt is input to the negative input (also called the inverting input) "-" of the comparator 2000.

[0048] The reference temperature module 3000 includes resistors R1 and R2, which have a voltage Vtemp as input and output a voltage vref. The values ​​of the resistors R1 and R2 are appropriately adjusted according to the different temperatures to be detected.

[0049] Specifically, the voltage vref can be expressed by the following equation (1-3).

[0050]

[0051] Here, Vtemp is a constant value, so the voltage vref depends on the values ​​of the resistors R1 and R2 and is not a constant. The voltage vref is input to the positive input (also called the non-inverting input) “+” of the comparator 2000 .

[0052] Figure 2 2 is a diagram showing an operation state of the comparator 2000 .

[0053] According to the above equations (1-1) to (1-3), vrt decreases as the resistance Rptat increases (i.e., the temperature rises), while vref is a constant value. Therefore, when the temperature of DDR3 rises, the voltage vrt decreases, while the voltage vref remains unchanged.

[0054] like Figure 2 As shown, comparator 2000 is used to compare vrt and vref. When the temperature continues to rise until vrt<vref, the output TQI of comparator 2000 flips from 0 to 1, indicating that the temperature of DDR3 has exceeded a specific temperature (i.e., Temp_l2h), and the refresh rate of DDR3 needs to be increased to prevent data loss.

[0055] However, there is a problem with this traditional structure of temperature sensor, that is, the fluctuation of power supply voltage can cause large errors in temperature detection. There may be many reasons for the fluctuation of DDR3 power supply voltage. For example, when the power quality is poor, the inferior or aged power supply may not provide stable voltage output, resulting in fluctuation. Or, when the load changes suddenly, the sudden load change (such as starting a large number of applications or data processing tasks) may cause instantaneous voltage fluctuations. Or, when there is a problem with the motherboard voltage regulation module (VRM), if the voltage regulation module on the motherboard is faulty or poorly designed, it may not be able to stably regulate the voltage provided to the memory. Or, when there is interference on the power line, external factors such as electromagnetic interference from other electrical appliances or transient fluctuations in the power system (such as power surges or temporary power outages) may affect stability. Or, there may be problems with the memory itself, and individual memories may have problems due to quality problems or long-term use, resulting in changes in voltage requirements. In addition, the ambient temperature will also have an impact. The high temperature environment will affect the working characteristics of the circuit (including the stability of the voltage), resulting in voltage fluctuations. In addition, over time, any electronic device will cause performance degradation due to the aging of components, including voltage stability.

[0056] As an example, under the tt process corner, when the power supply voltage vtqi is 1.2V, the temperature reversal point "Temp_12h" is about 85°C, and when the power supply voltage fluctuates by about ±50mV, the temperature reversal point will also have an error (for example, an error of ±5°C). This detection error will be particularly serious under the ss process corner, even reaching more than ±8°C.

[0057] In order to analyze this phenomenon, vrt and vref are differentiated with respect to the input voltage (ie, vtqi and Vtemp), respectively, to obtain the following equations (1-4) and (1-5).

[0058]

[0059] When voltage fluctuation occurs, vtqi and Vtemp will fluctuate to the same extent. By observing the above equations (1-4) and (1-5), we can see that: and There is a big difference. When the power supply voltage vtqi and Vtemp change due to voltage fluctuation, vrt and vref will change to different degrees. It is this different degree of change that makes the temperature reversal point very sensitive to the change of power supply voltage (i.e., voltage fluctuation). In other words, since vrt and vref have different sensitivities to the change of power supply voltage, when the power supply voltage fluctuates, the temperature reversal point will have a large error, thus affecting the result of temperature detection.

[0060] Figure 3 1 is a schematic diagram showing how the temperature inversion point is affected by power supply voltage fluctuations at a tt process corner in an existing temperature sensor circuit.

[0061] like Figure 3 As shown in the figure, when the power supply voltage fluctuates by -50mv (vtqi=1.15V), the temperature inversion point (Temp_l2h) becomes 80°C. When the power supply voltage fluctuates by +50mv (vtqi=1.25V), the temperature inversion point (Temp_l2h) becomes 90°C. In this case, when the power supply voltage fluctuates, the existing temperature sensor circuit 100 cannot accurately detect the specific temperature (85°C in the above example), and the error range is large, so the refresh rate of DDR3 cannot be increased in time, and data may be lost.

[0062] Hereinafter, a method for solving the above-mentioned problems will be disclosed.

[0063] Implementation Method 1

[0064] Figure 4 1 is a diagram showing a temperature sensor circuit 100A according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] like Figure 4 As shown, the temperature sensor circuit 100A according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a temperature change sensing module 1000A, a comparator 2000A, and a reference temperature module 3000A.

[0066] Among them, the temperature change sensing module 1000A is used to detect the change of temperature, and it has a power supply voltage as input, and outputs a temperature sensing voltage corresponding to the change of temperature. Different from the existing temperature sensor circuit 100, the temperature change sensing module 1000A of the temperature sensor circuit 100A involved in embodiment 1 of the present invention also has a power supply voltage feedback module 1001A. The power supply voltage feedback module 1001A includes an NMOS transistor MN2 (a second NMOS transistor), a resistor R3 (a third resistor) and a resistor R4 (a fourth resistor). Specifically, the resistor R3 and the resistor R4 are connected in series, and their connection point is connected to the gate of the NMOS transistor MN2. The power supply voltage feedback module 1001A acts as a new current source related to the power supply voltage, and feeds back the power supply voltage to the voltage vrt (temperature sensing voltage). In addition, similarly to the above, the temperature change sensing module 1000A also includes an NMOS transistor MN1 as a current source and a positive temperature coefficient resistor Rptat connected to MN1.

[0067] Comparator 2000A is the same as comparator 2000 described above and is used to compare the magnitudes of two voltage or current signals and output a digital signal indicating which input is greater.

[0068] In addition, the reference temperature module 3000A is the same as the reference temperature module 3000 described above, and includes a resistor R1 and a resistor R2.

[0069] Based on the characteristics of the positive temperature coefficient resistor Rptat and the comparator 2000A, in the temperature sensor circuit 100A, the positive temperature coefficient resistor Rptat is used to sense the change in temperature, and it is expressed as a change in the resistance value of the positive temperature coefficient resistor Rptat, and then the change in resistance value is converted into a voltage ( Figure 4 Next, based on the specific temperature to be detected, the specific temperature is also expressed in the form of voltage (vref), and the voltage vrt and the voltage vref are compared by the comparator 2000A to obtain the output TQI (a digital signal, i.e., 0 or 1), so that it can be determined whether the DDR3 has reached the specific temperature based on the output TQI.

[0070] Next, the operating principle of the temperature sensor circuit 100A will be described in detail.

[0071] like Figure 4 As shown, the newly added current source Is2 is controlled by the power supply voltage, and its expression is shown in the following formula (2-1).

[0072]

[0073] Where Is2 is the drain current of the NMOS transistor. Kn2 is the transconductance parameter of the NMOS transistor, usually expressed as, Among them, μ n is the electron mobility, C ox is the gate oxide capacitance, W is the width of the transistor, and L is the length of the transistor. VTH MN2 is the threshold voltage of the NMOS transistor.

[0074] Will remember K R , then formula (2-1) can be simplified to formula (2-2).

[0075]

[0076] Therefore, vrt of the temperature sensor circuit according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention can be expressed by equation (2-3).

[0077]

[0078] This voltage vrt is input to the negative input (also referred to as the inverting input) “−” of the comparator 2000A.

[0079] The output Vtref of the reference temperature module 3000A depends on the values ​​of the resistors R1 and R2 as in the above equation (1-3) and is not a constant. This voltage vref is input to the positive input (also called non-inverting input) "+" of the comparator 2000A.

[0080] Next, by differentiating equation (2-3) with respect to vtqi, we can obtain equation (2-4).

[0081]

[0082] According to the above formulas (1-4) and (1-5), vrt (temperature sensing voltage) and vref (reference voltage) have different sensitivities to changes in the power supply voltage. Therefore, when the power supply voltage fluctuates, the temperature reversal point will produce a large error, thereby affecting the temperature detection result. In addition, the differential result involved in the above formula (1-4) is 1, so it is impossible to adjust the sensitivity of vrt relative to the power supply voltage, which makes it impossible to improve the sensitivity of the temperature reversal point relative to the power supply voltage change.

[0083] If the sensitivity of the temperature sensing voltage to the change of the power supply voltage is set to the first sensitivity, and the sensitivity of the reference voltage to the change of the power supply voltage is set to the second sensitivity, then according to the temperature sensor circuit 100A involved in the first embodiment of the present invention, the first sensitivity is represented by the differential of the temperature sensing voltage with respect to the power supply voltage, and the second sensitivity is represented by the differential of the reference voltage with respect to the power supply voltage. Based on equations (2-4) and (1-5), it can be seen that the sensitivity of the temperature sensing voltage (vrt) to the change of the power supply voltage (i.e., the first sensitivity) is adjusted by adjusting the transconductance parameter of the second NMOS transistor (MN2), the resistance value of the third resistor (R3), and the resistance value of the fourth resistor (R4), while the sensitivity of the reference voltage (vref) to the change of the power supply voltage (i.e., the second sensitivity) is adjusted by adjusting the resistance value of the first resistor (R1) and the resistance value of the second resistor (R2). Therefore, by selecting an appropriate parameter K n2 and K R , so that the first sensitivity can be close to the second sensitivity, that is, near In addition, through further adjustment, the first sensitivity can even be made approximately equal to the second sensitivity, that is, In this case, even if the power supply voltage fluctuates, since the sensitivities of vrt and vref to the fluctuation of the power supply voltage (i.e., the first sensitivity and the second sensitivity) are adjusted to be substantially equal, the sensitivity of the temperature reversal point to the change of the power supply voltage is also reduced. At this time, the reversal point "Temp_l2h" of the temperature sensor is no longer sensitive to the change of the power supply voltage, and the specific temperature can be accurately detected even if the power supply voltage fluctuates.

[0084] Figure 5 1 is a schematic diagram showing the influence of power supply voltage fluctuation on the temperature inversion point at the tt process corner in the temperature sensor circuit 100A according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0085] like Figure 5 As shown, when the power supply voltage fluctuates by -50mv (vtqi=1.15V), the temperature inversion point (Temp_l2h) becomes 84°C. When the power supply voltage fluctuates by +50mv (vtqi=1.25V), the temperature inversion point (Temp_l2h) becomes 86°C. In this case, even when the power supply voltage fluctuates, the error caused by the temperature inversion point is extremely small, and the specific temperature (85°C in the above example) can be accurately detected, so that the refresh rate of DDR3 can be increased in time, and data may be lost. In other words, the temperature sensor circuit 100A involved in embodiment 1 of the present invention has a high anti-interference performance for the power supply voltage. Even if the power supply voltage changes, the temperature sensor circuit is not easily affected by the change and can still accurately measure the specific temperature.

[0086] Figure 6 The present invention is a schematic diagram showing how the temperature switching point is affected by power supply voltage fluctuations at various process corners in an existing temperature sensor circuit.

[0087] Figure 7 1 is a schematic diagram showing how the temperature inversion point is affected by power supply voltage fluctuation at each process corner in the temperature sensor circuit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0088] like Figure 6As shown, in the conventional temperature sensor circuit 100, under the ff process angle, when the power supply voltage fluctuates by -50 mv (vtqi=1.15 V), the temperature inversion point (Temp_l2h) becomes 82°C, and when the power supply voltage fluctuates by +50 mv (vtqi=1.25 V), the temperature inversion point (Temp_l2h) becomes 88°C. Under the ss process angle, when the power supply voltage fluctuates by -50 mv (vtqi=1.15 V), the temperature inversion point (Temp_l2h) becomes 76°C, and when the power supply voltage fluctuates by +50 mv (vtqi=1.25 V), the temperature inversion point (Temp_l2h) becomes 93°C.

[0089] It can be seen from this that in the existing temperature sensor circuit, especially under the SS process corner, the temperature flip point is more sensitive to the change of the power supply voltage VTQI, and the detection error becomes larger.

[0090] In contrast, Figure 7 As shown, in the temperature sensor circuit 100A according to the first embodiment of the present invention, at the ff process angle, when the power supply voltage fluctuates by -50 mV (vtqi = 1.15 V), the temperature inversion point (Temp_l2h) becomes 84.5°C, and when the power supply voltage fluctuates by +50 mV (vtqi = 1.25 V), the temperature inversion point (Temp_l2h) becomes 85.5°C. At the ss process angle, when the power supply voltage fluctuates by -50 mV (vtqi = 1.15 V), the temperature inversion point (Temp_l2h) becomes 83°C, and when the power supply voltage fluctuates by +50 mV (vtqi = 1.25 V), the temperature inversion point (Temp_l2h) becomes 87°C.

[0091] It can be seen that the temperature sensor circuit 100A involved in the first embodiment of the present invention reduces the sensitivity of the temperature inversion point to the change of the power supply voltage vtqi at each process angle. Figure 6 and Figure 7 As can be seen from the comparison, the sensitivity of the temperature sensor circuit 100A involved in embodiment 1 of the present invention to the change of the power supply voltage vtqi is only about 20% of that of the traditional structure. Therefore, the detection accuracy for a specific temperature is significantly improved.

[0092] Implementation Method 2

[0093] Figure 8 1 is a diagram showing a temperature sensor circuit 100B according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0094] Most of the configuration of the temperature sensor circuit 100B according to the second embodiment of the present invention is the same as that of the temperature sensor circuit 100A according to the first embodiment, and therefore only the different parts will be described below, and the description of the same parts will be omitted.

[0095] like Figure 8 As shown, the temperature sensor circuit 100B according to the second embodiment includes a negative temperature coefficient resistor Rctat instead of a positive temperature coefficient resistor Rptat.

[0096] At this time, due to the use of negative temperature coefficient resistor Rctat, the voltage vrt increases as the resistance Rctat decreases (i.e., the temperature rises). When the temperature of DDR3 rises, the voltage vrt increases. At this time, the voltage vrt is input to the positive input (also called non-inverting input) "+" of the comparator. At the same time, the voltage vref is input to the negative input (also called inverting input) "-" of the comparator.

[0097] By adopting the above configuration, the same effects as those of the temperature sensor circuit 100A according to the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0098] Implementation 3

[0099] Fig. 9 100C is a diagram showing a temperature sensor circuit according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0100] Most of the configuration of the temperature sensor circuit 100C according to the third embodiment of the present invention is the same as that of the temperature sensor circuit 100A according to the first embodiment, and therefore only the different parts will be described below, and the description of the same parts will be omitted.

[0101] like Fig. 9 As shown, the temperature sensor circuit 100C according to the third embodiment includes a reference temperature module 3000C instead of the reference temperature module 3000A.

[0102] The reference temperature module 3000C has an NMOS transistor MN3 (third NMOS transistor) and an NMOS transistor MN4 (fourth NMOS transistor) connected in series. The connection point of MN3 and MN4 is connected to the positive input (also called non-inverting input) "+" of the comparator, thereby inputting the voltage vref to the positive input of the comparator. The other parts are the same as the temperature sensor circuit 100A involved in embodiment 1.

[0103] By adopting the above configuration, the same effects as those of the temperature sensor circuit 100A according to the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0104] Implementation 4

[0105] In addition, the present invention provides a DDR3 semiconductor memory chip, which includes: a DDR3 memory, which includes a plurality of memory chips, forming a memory array, and is responsible for actual data storage; a central processing unit, which initiates data processing and calculation tasks, and interacts with the DDR3 memory through a controller; a controller, which is located between the central processing unit and the DDR3 memory, and is responsible for managing read and write requests to the DDR3 memory, and ensuring effective transmission of commands, addresses, and data between the central processing unit and the DDR3 memory; a data bus, which is responsible for transmitting data between the central processing unit, the controller, and the DDR3 memory; an address bus, which is used to transmit the DDR3 memory address and inform the DDR3 memory of the specific unit to be accessed; a command bus, which sends read, write, and other control commands to the DDR3 memory to perform corresponding operations; a power management unit, which is responsible for providing a stable power supply for the entire DDR3 memory and optimizing energy consumption; and a temperature sensor circuit described in any one of embodiments 1 to 3, which is used to detect a specific temperature.

[0106] A DDR3 semiconductor memory chip using a temperature sensor circuit described in any one of embodiments 1 to 3 can accurately detect high temperatures and can timely and periodically refresh the data of storage cells in the DDR3 memory, thereby preventing data loss and improving the performance and life of the memory chip.

[0107] It should be understood that the above description is illustrative and not restrictive. For example, the above embodiments (and / or their various aspects) can be used in combination with each other. In addition, without departing from the scope of the present invention, many modifications can be made to adapt specific conditions or materials to the teachings of the various embodiments of the present invention. Although the size and type of the material described herein are used to define the parameters of the various embodiments of the present invention, the various embodiments are not meant to be restrictive, but exemplary embodiments. In the case of reading the above description, many other embodiments are obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of the various embodiments of the present invention should be determined with reference to the attached claims, and the full range of equivalent forms claimed by these claims.

Claims

1. A temperature sensor circuit for detecting a specific temperature in a DDR3 semiconductor memory chip, characterized in that: include: A temperature change sensing module, which is used to detect temperature changes, has a power supply voltage as input, and outputs a temperature sensing voltage corresponding to the temperature change; A reference temperature module, which outputs a reference voltage based on the specific temperature to be detected; as well as a comparator, the comparator receiving the temperature sensing voltage output from the temperature change sensing module and the reference voltage output from the reference temperature module, and comparing them to determine whether the temperature reaches the specific temperature to be detected, If the sensitivity of the temperature sensing voltage to the change of the power supply voltage is set to a first sensitivity and the sensitivity of the reference voltage to the change of the power supply voltage is set to a second sensitivity, the first sensitivity and the second sensitivity are configured to be close to each other.

2. The temperature sensor circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that The first sensitivity is represented by a differential of the temperature sensing voltage with respect to the power supply voltage, and the second sensitivity is represented by a differential of the reference voltage with respect to the power supply voltage.

3. The temperature sensor circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The temperature change sensing module comprises: a first NMOS transistor (MN1) as a current source; a positive temperature coefficient resistor (Rptat) connected to the first NMOS transistor (MN1); and Supply voltage feedback module, The power supply voltage feedback module comprises a second NMOS transistor (MN2), a third resistor (R3) and a fourth resistor (R4), wherein the third resistor (R3) and the fourth resistor (R4) are connected in series, and a connection point between the third resistor (R3) and the fourth resistor (R4) is connected to a gate of the second NMOS transistor (MN2). The power supply voltage feedback module serves as a new current source related to the power supply voltage, and feeds back the power supply voltage to the temperature sensing voltage. One terminal of the second NMOMS transistor (MN2) is connected to the negative input of the comparator.

4. The temperature sensor circuit according to claim 3, characterized in that: The reference temperature module includes a first resistor (R1) and a second resistor (R2), the first resistor (R1) and the second resistor (R2) are connected in series, and a connection point between the first resistor (R1) and the second resistor (R2) is connected to a positive input of the comparator.

5. The temperature sensor circuit according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first sensitivity is adjusted by adjusting the transconductance parameter of the second NMOS transistor (MN2), the resistance value of the third resistor (R3) and the resistance value of the fourth resistor (R4).

6. The temperature sensor circuit according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second sensitivity is adjusted by adjusting the resistance value of the first resistor (R1) and the resistance value of the second resistor (R2).

7. The temperature sensor circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first sensitivity is configured to be approximately equal to the second sensitivity.

8. The temperature sensor circuit according to claim 3, characterized in that: The reference temperature module includes a third NMOS transistor (MN3) and a fourth NMOS transistor (MN4), wherein the third NMOS transistor (MN3) and the fourth NMOS transistor (MN4) are connected in series, and a connection point between the third NMOS transistor (MN3) and the fourth NMOS transistor (MN4) is connected to a positive input of the comparator.

9. The temperature sensor circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The temperature change sensing module comprises: a first NMOS transistor (MN1) as a current source; a negative temperature coefficient resistor (Rctat) connected to the first NMOS transistor (MN1); and Supply voltage feedback module, The power supply voltage feedback module comprises a second NMOS transistor (MN2), a third resistor (R3) and a fourth resistor (R4), wherein the third resistor (R3) and the fourth resistor (R4) are connected in series, and a connection point between the third resistor (R3) and the fourth resistor (R4) is connected to a gate of the second NMOS transistor (MN2). The power supply voltage feedback module serves as a new current source related to the power supply voltage, and feeds back the power supply voltage to the temperature sensing voltage. One end of the second NMOMS transistor (MN2) is connected to the positive input of the comparator, The reference temperature module includes a first resistor (R1) and a second resistor (R2), the first resistor (R1) and the second resistor (R2) are connected in series, and a connection point between the first resistor (R1) and the second resistor (R2) is connected to a negative input of the comparator.

10. The temperature sensor circuit according to claim 1, wherein: The specific temperature is 85°C.

11. A DDR3 semiconductor memory chip, characterized in that: include: DDR3 memory, which contains multiple memory chips, forming a memory array, responsible for actual data storage; The central processing unit initiates data processing and computing tasks and interacts with the DDR3 memory through the controller; A controller, located between the central processing unit and the DDR3 memory, responsible for managing read and write requests to the DDR3 memory and ensuring effective transmission of commands, addresses and data between the central processing unit and the DDR3 memory; A data bus, which is responsible for transmitting data between the central processing unit, the controller and the DDR3 memory; An address bus, the address bus is used to transmit the DDR3 memory address, and inform the DDR3 memory of the specific unit to be accessed; A command bus that sends read, write and other control commands to the DDR3 memory to perform corresponding operations; A power management unit, which is responsible for providing a stable power supply to the entire DDR3 memory and optimizing energy consumption; as well as The temperature sensor circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the temperature sensor circuit is used to detect a specific temperature.

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