Parallel Temperature Sensor Array for SOC Gradient Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional temperature monitoring methods for semiconductor chips, particularly system on chip (SOC) types, face challenges in accurately detecting temperature gradients across large and complex chip areas due to the limitations of single temperature sensors.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising multiple temperature sensors with dedicated controllers and a combiner to detect local temperatures in parallel, allowing for the calculation and output of maximum temperatures, which can be accessed through JTAG, CSR, and debug trace interfaces, enabling efficient thermal control and diagnostics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a single temperature sensor is used in conventional semiconductor packaging, then the device complexity is low, but the measurement precision of temperature gradients across large chip areas is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the temperature monitoring system into multiple independent temperature sensors distributed across different regions of the semiconductor die. Each sensor independently measures local temperature, enabling accurate detection of temperature gradients across large chip areas. The sensors are coupled to a temperature sensor controller that manages multiple sensors rather than a single sensor, resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and device complexity through spatial segmentation.
2Measurement precision
If multiple temperature sensors are deployed across large chip areas, then the measurement precision of temperature gradients improves, but the time required to read all sensors increases
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature sensor controller continuously monitors temperature from multiple sensors without requiring sequential reading of each sensor. The system maintains continuous temperature monitoring across all sensor locations by implementing parallel temperature detection architecture, where all sensors can be read simultaneously rather than sequentially. This eliminates the time penalty associated with reading multiple sensors while maintaining accurate temperature gradient detection.
3Reliability
If multiple temperature sensors and controllers are used, then the reliability of thermal monitoring improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple temperature sensors and their control functions into an integrated temperature sensor controller that manages all sensors through a unified interface. The controller consolidates the control logic for multiple sensors into a single device, reducing the overall system complexity while maintaining reliable thermal monitoring. The combiner component merges temperature data from multiple sensors and controllers, providing a simplified data aggregation point that enhances reliability without proportionally increasing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Some examples of the disclosure are directed to systems, apparatus, and methods for temperature detection using multiple temperature controllers each having distributed temperature sensors that allow reading multiple sensor outputs in parallel for a wide range of covered area. The temperature controller may also have logic to calculate a local temperature controller maximum temperature, a maximum temperature of all sensors, provide software access to each sensor, easy software enablement through a software interface that allows access earlier than when chip operating system (OS) is booted, and the ability to enable and mask individual sensors or sensor groups through software.