Categorization and Characterization of Time Domain CMOS Temperature Sensors

Area of Science:

• Integrated circuit design
• Solid-state physics
• Sensor technology

Background:

• Traditional temperature sensors rely on voltage or current measurements.
• Time domain complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) sensors offer an alternative approach.
• Existing literature lacks a comprehensive categorization of these time domain sensors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically categorize time domain CMOS temperature sensors.
• To introduce a new temperature estimation function for sensor classification.
• To provide a framework for selecting appropriate sensors based on performance metrics.

Main Methods:

• Defining a novel temperature estimation function as the ratio of two measured time domain signals.
• Reviewing and categorizing published time domain CMOS temperature sensors.
• Analyzing sensor characteristics including conversion rate, die area, and error margins.

Main Results:

• Twelve distinct types of time domain CMOS temperature sensors were identified and categorized.
• Each sensor type exhibits unique performance characteristics.
• Key performance indicators such as temperature conversion rate, die area, process variation compensation, temperature error, and power supply voltage sensitivity were analyzed.

Conclusions:

• The proposed categorization provides a valuable tool for sensor selection.
• Understanding the diverse characteristics of time domain CMOS sensors is crucial for optimal device design.
• This work facilitates the choice of the most suitable sensor type for specific design specifications.