According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a Coulomb blockade thermometer, comprising a Coulomb blockade thermometer sensor element, a radio-frequency generator configured to feed a radio-frequency signal to a first port of the Coulomb blockade thermometer, and a radio-frequency sensor configured to measure a response of the Coulomb blockade thermometer to the radio-frequency signal from a second port of the Coulomb blockade thermometer to perform a conductance measurement of the Coulomb blockade thermometer, and a bias voltage generator configured to sweep through a bias voltage range during the conductance measurement, performed using the radio-frequency generator, of the Coulomb blockade thermometer.

According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a Coulomb blockade thermometer, comprising a Coulomb blockade thermometer sensor element, a radio-frequency generator configured to feed a radio-frequency signal to a first port of the Coulomb blockade thermometer, and a radio-frequency sensor configured to measure a response of the Coulomb blockade thermometer to the radio-frequency signal from a second port of the Coulomb blockade thermometer to perform a conductance measurement of the Coulomb blockade thermometer, and a bias voltage generator configured to sweep through a bias voltage range during the conductance measurement, performed using the radio-frequency generator, of the Coulomb blockade thermometer.

The described technology is generally directed towards an electrical current based temperature sensor and temperature information digitizer, referred to herein as a “temperature digitizer”. The temperature digitizer can include a sensor core, a digital to analog converter, a current comparator, and a processor. The processor can be configured to perform multiple current comparisons using the sensor core, digital to analog converter, and current comparator, and the processor can generate a digital code that reflects the results of the multiple current comparisons. The digital code represents the temperature.

The described technology is generally directed towards an electrical current based temperature sensor and temperature information digitizer, referred to herein as a “temperature digitizer”. The temperature digitizer can include a sensor core, a digital to analog converter, a current comparator, and a processor. The processor can be configured to perform multiple current comparisons using the sensor core, digital to analog converter, and current comparator, and the processor can generate a digital code that reflects the results of the multiple current comparisons. The digital code represents the temperature.

A semiconductor device includes a first transistor that flows a current to a load, a current generation circuit that outputs a current corresponding to a power consumption of the first transistor, a temperature sensor, a resistor-capacitor network coupled between the current generation circuit and the temperature sensor and an overheat detection circuit coupled to a connection point of the current generation circuit and the resistor-capacitor network, wherein the resistor-capacitor network comprises a resistor and a capacitor corresponding to a thermal resistance and a thermal capacitance between the first transistor and the temperature sensor.

A semiconductor device includes a first transistor that flows a current to a load, a current generation circuit that outputs a current corresponding to a power consumption of the first transistor, a temperature sensor, a resistor-capacitor network coupled between the current generation circuit and the temperature sensor and an overheat detection circuit coupled to a connection point of the current generation circuit and the resistor-capacitor network, wherein the resistor-capacitor network comprises a resistor and a capacitor corresponding to a thermal resistance and a thermal capacitance between the first transistor and the temperature sensor.

A diode voltage from a diode circuit can be combined with a proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) voltage generated by a PTAT circuit to determine a temperature sensor voltage. This temperature sensor voltage may correspond to a temperature of a circuit or a localized temperature. By determining the temperature sensor voltage using a combination of a PTAT voltage and diode voltage, it is possible to remove or a PTAT circuit used to generate a bandgap voltage, which may shrink the temperature sensor and increase the accuracy of the temperature sensor circuit.

A diode voltage from a diode circuit can be combined with a proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) voltage generated by a PTAT circuit to determine a temperature sensor voltage. This temperature sensor voltage may correspond to a temperature of a circuit or a localized temperature. By determining the temperature sensor voltage using a combination of a PTAT voltage and diode voltage, it is possible to remove or a PTAT circuit used to generate a bandgap voltage, which may shrink the temperature sensor and increase the accuracy of the temperature sensor circuit.

A method of measuring a junction temperature of a SiC MOSFET can be provided by applying a gate-source voltage to an external gate loop coupled to a gate of the SiC MOSFET, detecting a first time when the gate-source voltage exceeds a first value configured to disable conduction of a current in a drain of the SiC MOSFET, detecting, after the first time, a second time when a voltage across a common source inductance in a package of the SiC MOSFET indicates that the current in the drain is greater than a reference value, defining a time interval from the first time to the second time as a turn on delay time of the SiC MOSFET and determining the junction temperature for the SiC MOSFET using the turn on delay time.

A semiconductor device capable of monitoring the state of a battery or the like is provided. The states of a plurality of batteries in a battery module is easily acquired. The semiconductor device that can be attached to an electrode of a battery or the like includes a first substrate, an element layer, and first to third conductive layers. The element layer includes a first circuit and a second circuit and is provided on a side of a first surface of the first substrate. The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are provided on a side of a second surface positioned opposite to the first surface of the first substrate. The first circuit is electrically connected to each of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer through an opening provided in the first substrate. The third conductive layer is provided to be stacked on a side opposite to the first substrate side of the element layer and electrically connected to the second circuit. The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer each function as a terminal, and the third conductive layer functions as an antenna.