Provided is a temperature sensor including a bipolar transistor, a resistor, and a variable resistance circuit. The resistor is provided between a first node coupled to a base node of the bipolar transistor and a collector node of the bipolar transistor. The variable resistance circuit is provided between an emitter node of the bipolar transistor and a ground node.

Provided is a temperature sensor including a bipolar transistor, a resistor, and a variable resistance circuit. The resistor is provided between a first node coupled to a base node of the bipolar transistor and a collector node of the bipolar transistor. The variable resistance circuit is provided between an emitter node of the bipolar transistor and a ground node.

Embodiments of a device and method are disclosed. In an embodiment, a calibration circuit for a temperature sensor circuit includes a current source configured to generate a temperature independent reference current and further includes a voltage window generator circuit. The voltage window generator circuit is configured to generate a voltage window for the temperature sensor circuit using at least the temperature independent reference current. The voltage window is defined by a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage. The voltage window generator circuit is further configured to control a width of the voltage window to include a range of proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) voltage outputs of a temperature sensor in the temperature sensor circuit.

A fluid sensor includes a support structure having a top main surface region; a thermal emitter on the top main surface region of the support structure; a thermal radiation detector on the top main surface region of the support structure; and a waveguide structure having a first and a second waveguide section on the top main surface region of the support structure. The first waveguide section guides a first portion of the thermal radiation to the thermal radiation detector and the second waveguide section guides a second portion of the thermal radiation to the thermal radiation detector. The waveguide structure enables an interaction of an evanescence field of the guided first and/or second portion of the thermal radiation with a surrounding fluid.

A fluid sensor includes a support structure having a top main surface region; a thermal emitter on the top main surface region of the support structure; a thermal radiation detector on the top main surface region of the support structure; and a waveguide structure having a first and a second waveguide section on the top main surface region of the support structure. The first waveguide section guides a first portion of the thermal radiation to the thermal radiation detector and the second waveguide section guides a second portion of the thermal radiation to the thermal radiation detector. The waveguide structure enables an interaction of an evanescence field of the guided first and/or second portion of the thermal radiation with a surrounding fluid.

A fluid sensor for performing a reference measurement includes a support structure having a top main surface region; a thermal emitter on the top main surface region of the support structure; a first waveguide section and a first thermal radiation detector on the top main surface region of the support structure; and a cover structure on at least one part of the first waveguide section. The first waveguide section guides a first portion of the thermal radiation emitted by the thermal emitter to the first thermal radiation detector. The first thermal radiation detector detects the guided first portion of the thermal radiation for performing the reference measurement.

A fluid sensor for performing a reference measurement includes a support structure having a top main surface region; a thermal emitter on the top main surface region of the support structure; a first waveguide section and a first thermal radiation detector on the top main surface region of the support structure; and a cover structure on at least one part of the first waveguide section. The first waveguide section guides a first portion of the thermal radiation emitted by the thermal emitter to the first thermal radiation detector. The first thermal radiation detector detects the guided first portion of the thermal radiation for performing the reference measurement.

A thermal sensor with non-ideal coefficient elimination is shown. The thermal sensor has a bandgap circuit, a dual-phase voltage-to-frequency converter, and a frequency meter. The bandgap circuit outputs a temperature-dependent voltage. The dual-phase voltage-to-frequency converter is coupled to the bandgap circuit in the normal phase to perform a voltage-to-frequency conversion based on the temperature-dependent voltage, and is disconnected from the bandgap circuit in the coefficient capturing phase to perform the voltage-to-frequency conversion based on the supply voltage. The frequency meter is coupled to the dual-phase voltage-to-frequency converter to calculate the temperature-dependent frequency corresponding to the normal phase of the dual-phase voltage-to-frequency converter. The frequency meter also calculates the temperature-independent frequency corresponding to the coefficient capturing phase of the dual-phase voltage-to-frequency converter. The temperature-dependent frequency and the temperature-independent frequency are provided for temperature evaluation with non-ideal coefficient elimination.

Provided is a semiconductor module, including: a semiconductor chip including a semiconductor substrate and a metal electrode provided above the semiconductor substrate; a protective film provided above the metal electrode; a plated layer provided above the metal electrode, having at least a part being in a height identical to the protective film; a solder layer provided above the plated layer; and a lead frame provided above the solder layer, wherein the plated layer is provided in a range not in contact with the protective film.

Provided are a semiconductor-based temperature sensor and a method of operating the semiconductor-based temperature sensor. A temperature sensor includes an electrical temperature signal generator configured to generate a first electrical temperature signal that changes according to temperature and a second electrical temperature signal that changes according to temperature at a different rate from that of the first electrical temperature signal, a differential signal generator configured to generate a differential electrical temperature signal between the first electrical temperature signal and the second electrical temperature signal, and an analog digital converter (ADC) configured to convert the differential electrical temperature signal into digital temperature information.