Two temperature sensors with signal-conditioning amplifiers realized in BiCMOS technology

Abstract Two temperature sensors realized in BiCMOS technology are described. The first sensor is using, as a temperature sensitive element, an original circuit of threshold extractor. The output of this circuit provides the p-channel transistor threshold voltage that changes with temperature. The second sensor is a resistive bridge using polysilicon and base-diffused resistors that have the temperature coefficients of opposite sign. Both sensors were realized with signal-conditioning amplifiers. The sensors characteristics are given for the temperature range of −40 to 150°C. The threshold voltage is not accurately reproducible, yet the sensors temperature characteristics are linear in the whole temperature range with a slope of 1.8 mV/°C that is close to the theoretical one. The characteristics of bridge sensors are tightly reproducible, close to the theoretical ones, but they show essential nonlinearity in the considered temperature range.

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