Temperature Measurement Circuit With Analog BIST Fault Diagnosis
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Solution Overview
Problem
On-chip temperature sensors in semiconductor integrated circuits can provide inaccurate temperature measurements, leading to performance degradation or damage, especially in critical applications like vehicle systems, due to their susceptibility to faults and the importance of accurate heat management with increasing operation speeds.
Innovation Solution
A temperature measurement circuit incorporating a band-gap reference circuit, reference voltage generator, sensing circuit, analog-digital converter, and built-in self-test (BIST) circuit to generate digital codes and flag signals indicating the operation temperature and voltage ranges, ensuring accurate temperature monitoring and diagnosing faults within the circuit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If on-chip temperature sensors are used to monitor operation temperature, then heat management and performance control are improved, but the risk of measurement errors and circuit damage increases due to sensor faults
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature measurement circuit performs self-diagnosis through the BIST circuit, which automatically tests its own components (band-gap reference circuit, sensing circuit, ADC circuit) without external intervention. The BIST circuit generates test signals and compares actual measurements against expected values to detect faults internally, enabling the system to monitor its own health status.
Solution Approach 2:
The BIST circuit continuously monitors the temperature measurement circuit's components and provides feedback through pass/fail signals. When a component deviates from expected performance, the BIST circuit generates alarm signals that feed back to the system, enabling real-time detection and response to measurement errors before they cause damage.
2Measurement precision
If multiple circuit components are integrated for accurate temperature measurement, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple functional components (band-gap reference circuit, sensing circuit, ADC circuit, and BIST circuit) into a single unified temperature measurement system. The BIST circuit merges testing functionality directly within the measurement circuit, eliminating the need for separate external test equipment and reducing overall system complexity despite the multiple internal components.
Solution Approach 2:
The BIST circuit serves multiple functions: it tests the band-gap reference circuit, sensing circuit, and ADC circuit; generates test signals; compares measurements; and generates both pass/fail and alarm signals. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated test circuits for each component, thereby managing complexity.
3Device complexity
If the temperature measurement circuit operates without fault monitoring, then device simplicity is maintained, but the risk of performance degradation and damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The BIST circuit performs preliminary testing of all temperature measurement components before normal operation. By pre-characterizing the band-gap reference circuit, sensing circuit, and ADC circuit, the system establishes baseline expectations for component performance, enabling early detection of deviations that could lead to measurement errors and subsequent circuit damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The BIST circuit provides protective cushioning by continuously monitoring component health and generating alarm signals before faults can cause damage. This preemptive monitoring creates a safety buffer that allows the system to take corrective action or shut down before wrong temperature information can lead to performance degradation or physical damage.
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 enables efficient and accurate temperature measurement and fault diagnosis, preventing performance degradation and damage by ensuring that the temperature measurement circuit operates within predetermined voltage ranges, thus enhancing the reliability of semiconductor integrated circuits.
Implementation Method 1
a band-gap reference circuit configured to generate a band-gap reference voltage that is fixed regardless of an operation temperature
Implementation Method 2
a sensing circuit configured to generate a temperature-variant voltage based on a bias current, where the temperature-variant voltage is varied depending on the operation temperature
Data Source
AI summary
A temperature measurement circuit includes a band-gap reference circuit configured to generate a band-gap reference voltage that is fixed regardless of an operation temperature, a reference voltage generator circuit configured to generate a measurement reference voltage by adjusting the band-gap reference voltage, a sensing circuit configured to generate a temperature-variant voltage based on a bias current, where the temperature-variant voltage is varied depending on the operation temperature, an analog-digital converter circuit configured to generate a first digital code indicating the operation temperature based on the measurement reference voltage and the temperature-variant voltage, and an analog built-in self-test (BIST) circuit configured to generate a plurality of flag signals indicating whether each of the band-gap reference voltage, the measurement reference voltage, and a bias voltage corresponding to the bias current is included in a predetermined range.