Semiconductor device and test method of semiconductor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11573134-B2
Application number	US-201916687308-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2019
Priority date	Dec 27, 2018
Publication date	Feb 7, 2023
Grant date	Feb 7, 2023

Abstract

A semiconductor device includes a first temperature sensor module, a second temperature sensor module, a first temperature controller, and a second temperature controller. The first temperature sensor module includes a bandgap reference circuit that outputs a plurality of divided voltages, and a first conversion circuit that performs analog-to-digital conversion processing on one of the plurality of divided voltages to generate a first digital value. The second temperature sensor module includes a second conversion circuit that performs analog-to-digital conversion processing on the one of the plurality of divided voltages to generate a second digital value. The first temperature sensor controller converts the first digital value to a first temperature. The second temperature sensor controller converts the second digital value to a second temperature. The semiconductor device determines whether the first and second temperature modules operate normally based on a difference between the first temperature and the second temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A semiconductor device comprising:
a first temperature sensor module;
a second temperature sensor module; and
a temperature sensor controller including:
a first temperature sensor controller that is coupled to the first temperature sensor module; and
a second temperature sensor controller that is coupled to the second temperature sensor module,

wherein the first temperature sensor module comprises:
a first bandgap reference circuit that outputs a first reference voltage and a plurality of divided voltages generated by dividing the first reference voltage with resistors;
a first selecting circuit that is coupled to the first bandgap reference circuit, and selects, based on an instruction from the first temperature sensor controller, one of the plurality of divided voltage as a first divided voltage; and
a first conversion circuit that performs analog-to-digital conversion processing on the first divided voltage based on the first reference voltage to generate a first digital value,

wherein the second temperature sensor module comprises:
a second bandgap reference circuit that outputs a second reference voltage;
a second selecting circuit that receives the plurality of divided voltages output from the first bandgap reference circuit, and selects, based on an instruction from the second temperature sensor controller, the one of the plurality of divided voltage as a second divided voltage; and
a second conversion circuit that performs analog-to-digital conversion processing on the second divided voltage based on the second reference voltage to generate a second digital value,

wherein the first temperature sensor controller converts the first digital value to a first temperature using a preset relationship,
wherein the second temperature sensor controller converts the second digital value to a second temperature using the preset relationship,
wherein the temperature sensor controller confirms whether a difference between the first temperature and the second temperature is within a preset range, and
wherein the temperature sensor controller determines that the first and second temperature modules operate normally based on confirming that the difference between the first temperature and the second temperature is within the preset range.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein the instruction from the first temperature sensor controller includes one of a divided voltage corresponding to an upper limit temperature at which an operation of the semiconductor device is guaranteed, a divided voltage corresponding to a lower limit temperature at which the operation of the semiconductor device is guaranteed, and a divided voltage corresponding to a temperature between the upper limit temperature and the lower limit temperature.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the temperature sensor controller determines that either the first sensor module or the second sensor module is fault based on confirming that the difference is not within the preset range, and
wherein the temperature sensor controller stops operating when a temperature sensor module disposed closer to a central processing unit or a graphics processing unit included in the semiconductor device, of the first and second temperature sensor modules is fault.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first bandgap reference circuit further outputs a first detection voltage depending on temperature,
wherein the first conversion circuit performs analog-to-digital conversion processing on the first detection voltage based on the first reference voltage to generate a third digital value,
wherein the first temperature sensor controller converts the third digital value to a third temperature using the preset relationship,
wherein the second bandgap reference circuit further outputs a second detection voltage depending on temperature,
wherein the second conversion circuit performs analog-to-digital conversion processing on the second detection voltage based on the second reference voltage to generate a fourth digital value, and
wherein the first temperature sensor controller converts the fourth digital value to a fourth temperature using the preset relationship.

5. A semiconductor device comprising:
a first temperature sensor module; and
a temperature sensor controller including a first temperature sensor controller that is coupled to the first temperature sensor module,
wherein the first temperature sensor module comprises:
a first bandgap reference circuit that outputs a first reference voltage and a first detection voltage depending on temperature;
a first conversion circuit that performs analog-to-digital conversion processing on the first detection voltage based on the first reference voltage to generate a first digital value; and
a first output terminal that is configured to be coupled to an external system, and outputs, to the external system, the first reference voltage and the first detection voltage from the first bandgap reference circuit, the external system including a second conversion circuit for performing analog-to-digital conversion processing on the first detection voltage based on the first reference voltage to generate a second digital value, and
wherein the first temperature sensor controller comprises an input terminal that receives the second digital value, compares the first digital value with the second digital value, and determines that the first conversion circuit operates normally by confirming that a difference between the first digital value and the second digital value is within a preset range.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 5 ,
wherein the first bandgap reference circuit further outputs a plurality of divided voltages generated by dividing the first reference voltage with resistors,
wherein the first temperature sensor module further comprises a first selecting circuit that is coupled to the first bandgap reference circuit, and selects, based on an instruction from the first temperature sensor controller, one of the plurality of divided voltages as a first divided voltage,
wherein the first conversion circuit performs analog-to-digital conversion processing on the first divided voltage based on the first reference voltage to generate a third digital value,
wherein the semiconductor device further comprises a second temperature sensor module,
wherein the temperature sensor controller further comprises a second temperature sensor controller that is coupled to the second sensor module,
wherein the second sensor module comprises:
a second bandgap reference circuit that outputs a second reference voltage;
a second selecting circuit that receives the plurality of divided voltages output from the first bandgap reference circuit, and selects, based on an instruction from the second temperature sensor controller, the one of the plurality of divided voltage as a second divided voltage; and
a second conversion circuit that performs analog-to-digital conversion processing on the second divided voltage based on the second reference voltage to generate a fourth digital value,

wherein the first temperature sensor controller converts the third digital value to a first temperature using a preset relationship,
wherein the second temperature sensor controller converts the fourth digital value to a second temperature using the preset relationship,
wherein the temperature sensor controller confirms whether a difference between the first temperature and the second temperature is within a preset range, and
wherein the temperature sensor controller determines that the first and second temperature modules operate normally based on confirming that the difference between the first temperature and th

Assignees

• Renesas Electronics Corp

Inventors

• Kameyama Tadashi
• Ikeda Masanori

Classifications

• G01K7/01 Primary

  using semiconducting elements having PN junctions (G01K7/02, G01K7/16, G01K7/30 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01K15/007 Primary

  Testing · CPC title

• G01K13/00 Primary

  Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes · CPC title

• G01K2219/00

  Thermometers with dedicated analog to digital converters · CPC title

• G06F1/206

  comprising thermal management · CPC title