CMOS-compatible smart temperature sensors

The properties, characteristics, applications and sensing principles of most of the present-day integrated smart temperature sensors are discussed in this paper. A CMOS process-compatible temperature sensor developed for low-cost high-volume integrated microsystems for a wide range of fields (such as automotive, space, oil prospecting, and biomedical applications), is also described. Concerning accuracy, a temperature error of 0,34 degrees C rms in current mode and 1.86 degrees C rms in voltage mode (without post-fabrication trimming) over the -50 degrees C to 150 degrees C temperature range are the measured performances of this integrated wide-range temperature sensor. Other important characteristics of the developed sensor are the low cost, the less than 1 mW power consumption, the higher than 40 dB PSRR, and the output signal swing which is intrinsically referenced to the temperature range and was specially conditioned for analogs to digital conversion in both current and voltage modes. Finally, temperature sensor performances are compared and evaluated. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.