Stackable Metal Heater-Sensor Chip for Scalable Thermal Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for evaluating thermal performance of electronic systems are not scalable and technology agnostic, leading to extended development time and cost, particularly in industrial and automotive applications where thermal performance across a wide range of temperatures is critical.
Innovation Solution
A thermal test chip with a multilevel metallization structure incorporating metal-based heater and sense resistors, allowing for programmatic adaptation to simulate thermal conditions and measure junction to ambient and junction to case temperatures, facilitating timely and cost-effective evaluation of thermal performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional techniques are used for evaluating thermal performance, then thermal performance can be evaluated, but the evaluation process is not scalable and leads to extended development time and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical thermal testing methods with an integrated electrical measurement system. The test chip uses electrical circuits to generate heat through resistors and measure temperature via resistance changes in sense resistors, substituting traditional thermal cameras or contact thermometers with electrical measurement techniques that can be automated and scaled across multiple devices simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The test chip structure serves multiple functions: it acts as both the device under test and the thermal measurement instrument. The same semiconductor die and metallization layers that would normally be part of the electronic device also function as the heating elements and temperature sensors, eliminating the need for separate external testing equipment and enabling universal application across different device types.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional thermal evaluation methods are used, then thermal performance can be assessed, but the methods are not technology agnostic and require different approaches for different technologies
Solution Approach 1:
The test chip employs a universal measurement principle based on electrical resistance-temperature relationship that applies across different semiconductor technologies and packaging types. The same four-terminal measurement technique and resistor-based sensing approach can be used regardless of the specific device technology, providing technology-agnostic thermal evaluation without requiring methodology changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent measures temperature by detecting changes in electrical resistance of sense resistors, which vary predictably with temperature. This parameter transformation from thermal domain to electrical domain creates a universal measurement approach that works across different technologies, as electrical resistance measurement is a fundamental technique applicable to all semiconductor devices regardless of their specific technology node or type.
3Measurement precision
If conventional thermal measurement approaches are used, then thermal performance can be measured, but measurement resolution and accuracy are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces sense resistors as intermediary elements that convert temperature information into electrical resistance changes. These sense resistors are strategically placed near the semiconductor die to sense local temperature, and their resistance changes are measured with high precision using four-terminal measurement techniques, providing indirect but highly accurate temperature measurement without direct thermal contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The measurement system uses feedback through the four-terminal technique where the voltage drop across sense resistors is measured and fed back to calculate temperature. The system continuously monitors resistance changes and adjusts measurements to compensate for lead resistance and other error sources, improving measurement precision through iterative correction and feedback mechanisms.
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
The solution provides better temperature measurement resolution and accuracy compared to existing methods, enabling scalable and cost-effective thermal testing of electronic systems, reducing development time and costs by allowing for localized heating and precise temperature control.
Implementation Method 1
a heater resistor, a sense resistor
Implementation Method 2
a heater resistor, a sense resistor, and conductive metal features electrically coupled to respective terminals of the heater resistor and the sense resistor
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device includes a package structure, conductive leads partially exposed outside the package structure, and a semiconductor die having a semiconductor layer and a multilevel metallization structure, where the semiconductor die is enclosed by the package structure and the multilevel metallization structure includes a heater resistor, a sense resistor, and conductive metal features electrically coupled to respective terminals of the heater resistor and the sense resistor, with the conductive metal features electrically coupled to respective ones of the conductive leads.