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Sony patents chip design that measures internal temperature from outside

Sony describes a semiconductor chip with a special component that changes its electrical resistance based on heat. By sending a signal from an external device to specific contact points on the chip, the system can calculate the exact temperature inside the chip while it is running.

Why it mattersThis method allows engineers to monitor chip heat without adding extra sensors inside the device, which could help prevent overheating in cameras or other electronics.

In the filing’s own words

An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor apparatus capable of recognizing the actual temperature for each semiconductor chip even while driving the device. A semiconductor apparatus of the present disclosure includes a semiconductor chip, a plurality of pad electrodes formed in the semiconductor chip, and an impedance element electrically connected between at least two pad electrodes of the plurality of pad electrodes. Then, the semiconductor apparatus is configured to be capable of measuring a temperature of the semiconductor chip by applying a certain electrical signal between the at least two pad electrodes connected with the impedance element from outside of the semiconductor chip.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A semiconductor apparatus comprising: a semiconductor chip; a pixel array section including a plurality of pixels; a plurality of pad electrodes formed in the semiconductor chip; an impedance element configured as a temperature-dependent element and disposed such that the impedance element is electrically connected between two pad electrodes of the plurality of pad electrodes, wherein the two pad electrodes are measurement terminals for the impedance element; and a temperature sensor that measures a temperature inside a device, the temperature sensor being located in a peripheral circuit section of the pixel array section, wherein the semiconductor apparatus is configured to measure a temperature of the semiconductor chip by externally applying an electrical signal between the two pad electrodes connected with the impedance element, the electrical signal being applied from outside of the semiconductor chip to the two pad electrodes, wherein the electrical signal is applied from outside of the semiconductor chip by an external measurement instrument to the two pad electrodes.

Facts

Company
Sony (Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation)
Official title
Semiconductor apparatus, temperature compensation system, and alarm system
Patent number
US12733433B2
Application number
17916894
Filed
Apr 15, 2021
Granted
Sep 8, 2026
Inventors
3
Claims
16

Classified under

H10P 72/0602 Electricity & electronicsG01K 7/015 Physics & computingG01K 7/16 Physics & computing
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.