Design Criteria of High-Temperature Integrated Circuits Using Standard SOI CMOS Process up to 300°C
Christian Sbrana, Alessandro Catania, Maksym Paliy, Stefano Di Pascoli, Sebastiano Strangio, Massimo Macucci, Giuseppe Iannaccone
Abstract
In this paper, we discuss the challenges at the device and circuit level that must be addressed to design reliable silicon CMOS integrated circuits operating in high-temperature environments. We present experimental results on representative devices fabricated with a 180 nm CMOS SOI platform, which have been characterized up to 300°C, discuss issues arising at high temperature, and propose possible solutions. A BJT-based temperature sensor core is also described and evaluated across the same extended temperature range. We also propose and discuss design criteria optimized for a wide range of operating temperature. A sufficient on/off current ratio can be achieved by taking advantage of the isolation provided by low-leakage CMOS SOI process, while operation at low current density must be ensured to mitigate electromigration effects. Within these conditions, low-power precise sensing circuits can be effectively implemented with operating temperature up to 300°C, that are extremely relevant for industrial, mobility, and space applications.