Intel Corporation

Apple Inc.

Intel Deutschland Gmbh

Intel Mobile Communications Gmbh

Intel IP Corporation

Matthias Eberlein

Hyung-Jin Lee

Cho-Ying Lu

A temperature sensor circuit is disclosed that uses multiple bipolar devices to generate a proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) current and a complementary to absolute temperature (CTAT) current. A difference in the PTAT and CTAT current is evaluated using a feedback loop of an amplifier circuit which alternatively charges and discharges a capacitor to create a time-varying analog signal. A comparator circuit compares the analog signal to threshold values to generate an output digital signal whose duty cycle varies with temperature.

Current-mode thermal sensor

A voltage reference circuit included in a computer system includes two bipolar devices with two different current densities which are used to generate two base-emitter voltages, which are scaled using divider circuits. The voltage reference circuit also includes a feedback circuit that generates a reference voltage using the scaled base-emitter voltages and a feedback signal. The feedback signal is generated using the reference signal and combined with one of the scaled base-emitter voltages to compensate for variations in load current from the reference circuit.

Low output impedance voltage reference circuit

An apparatus comprises: a first circuitry to charge first and second capacitors to a predetermined voltage level; a second circuitry to discharge the first capacitor through a diode at a first time; a third circuitry to discharge the second capacitor through the diode at a second time, wherein the second time is greater than the first time; a comparator to compare a first voltage of the first capacitor with a second voltage of the second capacitor; and logic to adjust a scaling factor applied to the second voltage according to an output of the comparator.

Time-controlled switch capacitor based temperature sensor

An apparatus is provided which generates a reverse bandgap reference using capacitive bias, which is applied to a single n-well diode. The capacitive bias allows for determining the current density precisely by pure timing control. An apparatus is also described for sensing temperature in which a forward-bias diode voltage can be sampled with a capacitor, and large current ratios are possible (e.g., ratio N greater than 1000). Duty cycle of a digital output of the sensor is used to determine the temperature sensed by the sensor.

Reverse bandgap reference circuit with bulk diode, and switch capacitor temperature sensor with duty-cycle output

An apparatus is provided which includes: a first supply node; a second supply node; a first transistor coupled to the first supply node, the first transistor is to provide a first current which is complementary to absolute temperature (CTAT); a second transistor coupled to the first supply node, the second transistor is to provide a second current which is proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT); a resistive device coupled in series at a node with the first and second transistors, and coupled to the second supply node, wherein the node is to sum the CTAT and the PTAT currents.

Low noise bandgap reference apparatus

Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods having a node to receive ground potential, a first diode including an anode coupled to the node, a second diode including an anode coupled to the node, a first circuit to apply a voltage to a cathode of each of the first and second diodes to cause the first and second diodes to be in a forward-bias condition, and a second circuit to generate a signal having a duty cycle based on a first voltage across the first diode and a second voltage across the second diode. At least one of such the embodiments includes a temperature calculator to calculate a value of temperature based at least in part on the duty cycle of the signal.

Thermal sensor including pulse-width modulation output

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide techniques and configurations for integrally determining a parameter (e.g., temperature) of a die of an integrated circuit. In one instance, the apparatus may comprise a die including a first (e.g., remote) area and a second (e.g., local) area disposed at a distance from the first area, and circuitry to determine a parameter associated with the remote area of the die. The circuitry may include: a first sensing device disposed in the remote area, to provide first readings associated with the parameter; a second sensing device disposed in the local area, to provide second readings associated with the parameter; and a control module coupled with the sensing devices and disposed in the local area, to facilitate a determination of the parameter based on the first and second readings provided by the first and second sensing devices. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Methods and apparatuses for determining a parameter of a die

An apparatus is described having a reference voltage circuit. The reference voltage circuit includes a diode to receive first and second currents having first and second respective current densities, where, the first and second current densities are different and determined by circuitry that precisely controls the respective amount of time the first and second currents flow into the diode. The reference voltage circuit also comprises circuitry to form a reference voltage by combining first and second voltages generated from respective voltages of the diode that result from the first and second currents flowing through the diode.

Bandgap reference circuit with capacitive bias

Described are apparatuses and methods for generating a temperature-stabilized reference voltage on a semiconductor chip. An apparatus may include a differential amplifier including a first input, a second input, and an output. The apparatus may further include a first bipolar junction transistor (BJT) coupled to the first input; a second BJT coupled to the second input; and beta compensation circuitry, coupled to the first BJT and the second BJT, to regulate a first collector current of the first BJT to be independent of a first current gain of the first BJT and a second collector current of the second BJT to be independent of a second current gain of the second BJT. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Bandgap reference circuit with beta-compensation

Described is a current-mode thermal sensor apparatus which comprises: a first transistor with a gate terminal coupled to a first node; a second transistor with a gate terminal coupled to a second node; a first resistor coupled to the first and second nodes; a second resistor coupled to the first node and a supply node; and a diode coupled to the second node and the supply node.

Current-mode digital temperature sensor apparatus

A circuit arrangement may include: a first bipolar transistor; a second bipolar transistor; wherein the circuit arrangement is configured to provide a first current flowing through the first bipolar transistor and a second current flowing through the second bipolar transistor; a resistor connected between a first input of the first bipolar transistor and a first input of the second bipolar transistor; a first circuit configured to provide a first current flowing through the resistor to a first input node of the first bipolar transistor, and a second circuit configured to provide a reference current to the first input node of the first bipolar transistor, wherein the first current and the reference current have different temperature dependencies.

Circuit arrangements

A circuit for generating a temperature-stabilized reference voltage on a semiconductor chip includes a differential amplifier having a first input, a second input and an output. The circuit further includes a CTAT circuit configured to generate a CTAT voltage at an output thereof. A first resistor is coupled between the output of the differential amplifier and the output of the CTAT circuit. Further, the first resistor is connected between the first input and the second input of the differential amplifier.

Bandgap reference circuit

A circuit for generating a temperature-stabilized reference voltage on a semiconductor chip includes a differential pair including a first and a second bipolar junction transistor. The circuit further includes a feedback circuit including an amplification stage and configured to control a current flowing through the first bipolar junction transistor and a current flowing through the second bipolar junction transistor. A first resistor is connected between an emitter of the first bipolar junction transistor and an emitter of the second bipolar junction transistor, thereby generating a PTAT voltage across the first resistor. Further, the circuit includes a current source forcing a partial current having a CTAT behavior through the first resistor.

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Holzkirchen, Germany

Matthias Eberlein