Six year-old Plymouth analogue and mixed signal IP specialist Moortec has demonstrated its embedded temperature sensor (METS) IP range on TSMC's 40LP and 28HP processes.
The IP targets thermal monitoring and management applications. The temperature sensor has been designed using standard CMOS logic processes for 40nm and 28nm geometries and can be instantiated multiple times across an SOC for die temperature profiling.
Although an analogue IP, its digital interfacing allows it to integrate within any digital implementation flow.
"With shrinking silicon geometries, there is a growing need for on-chip temperature monitoring for performance optimisation and device characterisation," says Moortec md Stephen Crosher, “at these process nodes designers have to deal with issues of process variability and thermal effects. The METS IP range, now demonstrated in silicon, allows designers to monitor die temperature for dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) purposes or for device characterisation during the burn-in test phase."
Moortec has already delivered the IP to several major customers. The company plans to increase its availability by porting the temperature sensor to other process nodes including TSMC 28HPM and Global Foundries GF28SLP.
The company then intends to take advantage of its position in the die monitoring space by developing IP modules capable of ascertaining die process type, monitoring temperature and varying supply voltage, which will target further DVFS applications.
