Suspended Mass Temperature Regulated Circuit for Low Power ICs
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for temperature regulation of precision integrated circuits consume high power, limiting their application to large, lab-grade products and making them unsuitable for portable devices with limited power sources.
Innovation Solution
A temperature regulated circuit with a suspended mass, support beams, an integrated circuit, a temperature sensor, a heater, and a controller, where the heater is fabricated on the suspended mass adjacent to the integrated circuit and the controller is on the frame, minimizing power consumption by maximizing thermal resistance and reducing the size of the heated substrate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If hybrid thick film heaters with alumina substrates or discrete heater resistors on epoxy-glass PCB material are used for temperature regulation, then temperature stability is achieved, but power consumption increases to 100 milliwatts to a few watts
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into a suspended mass containing only the essential components (integrated circuit, temperature sensor, heater) isolated from the frame. This segmentation minimizes the thermal mass that requires heating while maintaining temperature stability, thereby reducing power consumption compared to heating entire substrates.
Solution Approach 2:
The critical heating and sensing functions are extracted from the large substrate and concentrated into a small suspended mass. By taking out only the necessary components and isolating them thermally, the system achieves temperature regulation with minimal power requirement, avoiding the need to heat large alumina substrates or PCB materials.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the heater is placed on a large substrate, then temperature distribution is improved, but thermal resistance decreases and power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heater is positioned in close proximity to the integrated circuit on the suspended mass, providing localized heating exactly where needed. This local quality approach ensures adequate temperature distribution for the critical component without requiring large-area heating, thus minimizing heat dissipation and power loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The suspended mass is designed with asymmetric thermal coupling - strongly coupled to the heater locally while being thermally isolated from the frame. This asymmetric thermal design creates high thermal resistance to external environment, reducing heat dissipation while maintaining temperature distribution where required.
3Ease of manufacture
If the controller is fabricated on the suspended mass, then integration is improved, but the size of the suspended mass increases and thermal resistance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into two parts: the suspended mass containing temperature-critical components and the frame containing the controller. This segmentation maintains the small size and high thermal resistance of the suspended mass while providing easy access for controller fabrication and wiring on the frame, balancing integration needs with thermal performance.
Solution Approach 2:
Conductive tracks on the support beams serve as intermediaries, providing electrical connection between the suspended mass and the frame without compromising thermal isolation. This intermediary approach allows controller placement on the frame while maintaining thermal resistance, avoiding direct thermal coupling that would increase power consumption.
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 solution provides a low power temperature regulation method, enabling the use of precision integrated circuits in portable devices by reducing power consumption to under 5 milliwatts, thus expanding their potential applications.
Implementation Method 1
The temperature sensor generates a temperature signal that is proportional to a temperature of the integrated circuit
Implementation Method 2
a heater may be used to provide heat and compensate for any heat that is dissipated from the precision integrated circuit
Implementation Method 3
The suspended mass provides a thermally isolated substrate. By fabricating the integrated circuit on the suspended mass, the integrated circuit is thermally insulated and heat dissipation from the integrated circuit is minimized
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
Various embodiments provide a temperature regulated circuit. The temperature regulated circuit includes a suspended mass that is positioned in an opening of a frame. The suspended mass is suspended from the frame by a plurality of support beams that may be made of thermally insulating material. The suspended mass provides a thermally isolated substrate for an integrated circuit. The suspended mass also includes a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the integrated circuit, and a heater configured to heat the integrated circuit. A controller is positioned on the frame and is configured to receive temperature measurements from the temperature sensor and control the heater based on the temperature measurements.