Temperature monitoring in a semiconductor device by using a PN junction based on silicon/germanium materials

摘要

By incorporating germanium material into thermal sensing diode structures, the sensitivity thereof may be significantly increased. In some illustrative embodiments, the process for incorporating the germanium material may be performed with high compatibility with a process flow for incorporating a silicon/germanium material into P-channel transistors of sophisticated semiconductor devices. Hence, temperature control efficiency may be increased with reduced die area consumption.

主权项

1. A semiconductor device, comprising:
a silicon-containing semiconductor layer; a thermal sensing diode formed in said silicon-containing semiconductor layer, said thermal sensing diode comprising a P-doped region and an N-doped region, at least one of said P-doped region and said N-doped region comprising a first silicon/germanium alloy material; a transistor formed in and above said silicon-containing semiconductor layer, wherein said transistor comprises a gate electrode and drain and source regions, a portion of said drain and source regions is comprised of a second silicon/germanium alloy material, and said first and second silicon/germanium alloy materials have substantially the same germanium concentration; a first contact element coupled to said P-doped region; a second contact element coupled to said N-doped region; and a thermal sensing circuit coupled to the first and second contact elements.