Integrated accurate thermal frequency reference

Details Integrated accurate thermal frequency reference Integrated accurate thermal frequency reference

1999-01-14

2000-09-19

Pascal, Robert

Oscillators

Solid state active element oscillator

Transistors

331175, 331176, 324711, H03B 512

Patent

active

061218480

ABSTRACT:
A thermal RC network is fabricated in silicon as a lateral array of forward-biased PN junctions, which may take the form of the base-emitter junctions of bipolar transistors. Application of a clock signal from a voltage controlled oscillator to the silicon produces a heat pulse which propagates across the arrayed transistors of the thermal RC network. The resulting change in temperature produces a change in the V.sub.be of the arrayed transistors. The phase shift between the original clock signal and the changed V.sub.be is determined solely by the time constant .tau. of the particular thermal RC network. This time constant is a function only of the intrinsic thermal resistance and thermal capacitance of the silicon and the spacing of the laterally-arrayed transistors. The time constant is independent of the amplitude, frequency, and duty cycle of the original clock signal. The original clock signal and the time-delayed output of the RC network can be compared, and the phase shift determined. A voltage corresponding to this phase shift is then generated and fed back into the voltage controlled oscillator, producing an output signal having a constant frequency.

REFERENCES:
patent: 3766444 (1973-10-01), Bosch
patent: 4058779 (1977-11-01), Fraley
patent: 4757528 (1988-07-01), Falater et al.
patent: 5041800 (1991-08-01), Long et al.
patent: 5697082 (1997-12-01), Greer et al.
Shanks, et al., Thermal Conductivity Of Silicon From 300 To 1400 .degree. K* , Physical Review, vol. 130, No. 5, Jun. 1, 1963, pp. 1743-1748.
Louw, et al., Inductor-Less, Capacitor-Less State-Variable Electrothermal Filters, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circu, May 1975, pp. 416-424.
Heasell, E.L., The Heat-Flow Problem In Silicon: An Approach To An Analytical Solution With Application To The Calculation Of Thermal Instability In Bipolar Devices, IEEE Transaction On Electron Devices, vol. ED-25, No. 12, Dec. 1978, pp. 1382-1388.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Integrated accurate thermal frequency reference does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Integrated accurate thermal frequency reference, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Integrated accurate thermal frequency reference will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1077267