Integrated Circuit Thermal Mismatch Reduction via Local Heat Dissipation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Integrated circuits face challenges in reducing inter-component variation due to intrinsic matching errors, lot-to-lot variations, and power dissipation-related heating, which affect the precision and accuracy of components like resistors and transistors, particularly in high-resolution analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of controllable heat dissipating components adjacent to critical circuit components to manage temperature variations, using resistors, transistors, or Peltier effect devices in closed or open loop control systems, with temperature sensors and feedback mechanisms to maintain thermal stability and reduce mismatch between components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Power

If current flow is increased through circuit components to improve performance, then power dissipation and heating increase, but temperature-induced parameter variations and mismatch between components worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower dissipationVSAvoidcomponent matching precision

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by placing heat dissipating components selectively adjacent to specific circuit components that are sensitive to temperature variations. Rather than uniformly cooling the entire circuit, the solution targets localized areas where temperature-induced parameter variations most critically affect component matching precision, thereby resolving the contradiction between power dissipation and manufacturing precision at the local level.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Manufacturing precision

If temperature stabilization is implemented to reduce parameter variation, then component matching precision improves, but device complexity increases due to additional control systems

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomponent matching precisionVSAvoidcontrol system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses heat dissipating components as intermediary elements that passively manage temperature between the power-consuming circuit components and the surrounding environment. These intermediaries facilitate thermal transfer without requiring complex active control systems, thereby improving component matching precision while minimizing the increase in device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The heat dissipating components provide self-service thermal management by inherently conducting heat away from sensitive components through their physical presence and thermal coupling. This passive self-service approach reduces parameter variation without requiring external control systems, monitoring circuits, or complex feedback mechanisms, thus improving precision while keeping the control system complexity minimal.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Stability of the object's composition

If heat dissipating components are added to reduce temperature variation, then parameter stability improves, but device complexity and area increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveparameter stabilityVSAvoidcircuit structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the function of heat dissipation with the existing circuit layout by integrating heat dissipating components into the conventional circuit structure. Rather than adding separate, standalone thermal management systems, the solution combines thermal management functionality with the circuit's physical architecture, thereby improving parameter stability while minimizing increases in device complexity and area.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach effectively reduces temperature-induced parameter variations, enhancing the precision and accuracy of integrated circuits by minimizing self-heating effects and thermal mismatch, thereby improving the linearity and noise performance of analog circuits.

Implementation Method 1

controllable heat dissipating components placed adjacent selected circuit components

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat dissipation: Thermal Radiation

Implementation Method 2

heat dissipating components placed adjacent selected circuit components

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 3

using resistors, transistors, or Peltier effect devices in closed or open loop control systems

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPeltier effect: Peltier Effect

Data Source

PatentUS10454493B2Integrated circuit with on chip variation reduction

Publication Date: 2019.10.22 ANALOG DEVICES INT UNLTD CO

AI summary

Many electronic circuits rely on the ratio of one component to other components being well defined. Current flow in component can warm the component causing its electrical properties to change, for example the resistance of a resistor may increase due to self-heating as a result of current flow. The present disclosure provides a way to reduce temperature variation between components so as to reduce electrical mismatch between them or the consequences of such mismatch. This is important as even a change of resistance of, for example, 20-50 ppm in a resistor can result in non-linearity exceeding the least significant bit value of a 16 bit digital to analog converter.