Compact BJT-based thermal sensor for processor applications in a 14 nm tri-gate CMOS process

Compact thermal sensors (< 0.02 mm²) are important for measuring thermal gradients in microprocessors and can directly affect the processors performance and power management. In this paper, the first 14 nm thermal sensor is reported. This sensor was fabricated in Intel's 14 nm process, and is one of the first analog circuits reported in this technology. It has an area of 0.0087 mm², can sense at a speed > 50 kS/sec, consumes 1.1 mW with a resolution of 0.5°C, and has a resolution FOM of 5.7 nJ ∗ C². It is very close to the present BJT sensor state-of-the-art in its size, while being much faster and having a much better FOM than any of the compact BJT sensors.