A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor portion with a first surface at a front side, wherein the semiconductor portion includes an active area, a termination structure laterally surrounding the active area, and a field-free region between the termination structure and a lateral outer surface of the semiconductor portion. The field-free region includes a probe contact region and a main portion. The probe contact region and the main portion form a semiconductor junction. A probe pad on the first surface and the probe contact region form an ohmic contact. A protection passivation layer on the first surface is formed on at least the termination structure and exposes the probe pad.

Disclosed are a temperature measurement circuit and method. The circuit includes a first temperature sensing circuit, a second temperature sensing circuit and a data processing unit. The first temperature sensing circuit is configured to generate a first measurement signal for characterizing a temperature based on an inputted first current signal, a magnitude of the first current signal being correlated to temperature. The second temperature sensing circuit is configured to generate a second measurement signal for characterizing the temperature based on an inputted second current signal, the second current signal being independent of temperature. The data processing unit is configured to determine a current temperature based on a first characteristic parameter corresponding to the first measurement signal and a second characteristic parameter corresponding to the second measurement signal.

The present invention provides a processing circuit including logic cells and a thermal sensor. The thermal sensor is positioned within the logic cells and surrounded by the logic cells, and the logic cells and the thermal sensor are all implemented by core devices.

The present invention provides a processing circuit including logic cells and a thermal sensor. The thermal sensor is positioned within the logic cells and surrounded by the logic cells, and the logic cells and the thermal sensor are all implemented by core devices.

A sensor system included in an integrated circuit includes multiple sensor circuits and a control circuit. Using characterization data, a model may be generated that defines a relationship between measurable parameters of the integrated circuit and an operating characteristic of the integrated circuit. The control circuit can combine, using a function included in the model, data from the multiple sensor circuits to determine a value of the operating characteristic that is more accurate than a sensor circuit configured to measure a single parameter of the integrated circuit that varies with the operating characteristic.

To provide a sensor device and a measurement apparatus that are able to appropriately control a temperature of a sensing region where a potential is measured. Provided is a sensor device that includes an electrode array exposed to a sensing region, at least one or more wiring line layers provided in a layer same as the electrode array, a temperature determiner that determines a temperature of the sensing region on the basis of an electric resistance of the wiring line layer, and a temperature controller that controls the temperature of the sensing region on the basis of the temperature of the sensing region determined by the temperature determiner.

To provide a sensor device and a measurement apparatus that are able to appropriately control a temperature of a sensing region where a potential is measured. Provided is a sensor device that includes an electrode array exposed to a sensing region, at least one or more wiring line layers provided in a layer same as the electrode array, a temperature determiner that determines a temperature of the sensing region on the basis of an electric resistance of the wiring line layer, and a temperature controller that controls the temperature of the sensing region on the basis of the temperature of the sensing region determined by the temperature determiner.

A thermal sensor in some embodiments comprises two temperature-sensitive branches, each including a thermal-sensing device, such as one or more bipolar-junction transistors, and a current source for generating a current density in the thermal-sensing device to generate a temperature-dependent signal. The thermal sensor further includes a signal processor configured to multiply the temperature-dependent signal from the branches by respective and different gain factors, and combine the resultant signals to generate an output signal that is substantially proportional to the absolute temperature the thermal sensor is disposed at.

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.

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.