Abstract: A method for post-thermal-trimming annealing a thermally-trimmable resistor thermally-isolated on a substrate, the method comprising: trimming said thermally-trimmable resistor by applying a first power-measured signal to a heating resistor; and applying a second power-measured signal corresponding to a desired average annealing temperature to said heating resistor, wherein said second power-measured signal has a lower power level than said first power-measured signal.

Abstract: There is described a method for creating a thermally-isolated microstructure on a slab of mono-crystalline silicon which uses a hybrid dry-then-wet etch technique that when controlled, can produce microstructures without any silicon adhering underneath, microstructures having small masses of silicon adhering underneath, and microstructures that are still attached to the slab of mono-crystalline silicon via a waisted silicon body. When creating the microstructures with a waisted silicon body, the thermal isolation of the microstructure can be designed by controlling the depth of the etching and the size of the waist.

Abstract: There is described a method to change the value of a thermally-trimmable resistor in a non-permanent way by raising the temperature of the thermally-trimmable resistor to a level that is somewhere between room temperature and trimming temperature. By doing this, the trimming range that is available via true thermal trimming may be explored without actually trimming the value of the resistor. This is possible when the thermally-trimmable resistor, or a portion thereof, has an essentially non-zero temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR).

Abstract: There is described a method for stabilizing a post-trimming resistance of a thermally isolated electrical component made from a thermally mutable material, the method comprising: generating at least one heating pulse, the at least one heating pulse having an initial amplitude corresponding to a trimming temperature, a slope corresponding to a given cooling rate and a duration corresponding to a given cooling time; and applying the at least one heating pulse to one of the thermally isolated electrical component and a heating device in heat transfer communication with the thermally isolated electrical component, after a trimming process, in order to cause the electrical component to cool in accordance with the given cooling rate, the given cooling rate being slower than a passive cooling rate determined by the thermal isolation of the electrical component

Abstract: A circuit for trimming a thermally-trimmable resistor, measuring a temperature coefficient of resistance of the thermally-trimmable resistor, and annealing a thermally-trimmable resistor post-trimming, the circuit comprising: a thermally-isolated area on a substrate housing the thermally-trimmable resistor; heating circuitry for applying a signal to a heating resistor; and a constant-power module adapted to maintain power dissipated in the heating resistor substantially constant over a duration of the signal by varying at least one parameter of the signal as a result of a change in resistance of the heating resistor during the signal.

Abstract: There is described a method for creating a thermally-isolated microstructure on a slab of mono-crystalline silicon which uses a hybrid dry-then-wet etch technique that when controlled, can produce microstructures without any silicon adhering underneath, microstructures having small masses of silicon adhering underneath, and microstructures that are still attached to the slab of mono-crystalline silicon via a waisted silicon body. When creating the microstructures with a waisted silicon body, the thermal isolation of the microstructure can be designed by controlling the depth of the etching and the size of the waist.

Abstract: A compound resistor is used to compensate for trimming induced shift in temperature coefficient of resistance of a trimmable resistor. The compound resistor is composed of a first and second portion, at least one of the two portions being thermally trimmable, and the parameters for the first and second portion are selected such that the trimming induced shift can be minimized on an overall resistance and temperature coefficient of resistance of the compound resistors by trimming the trimmable resistor. The invention also allows for exploring trimming range available via true thermal trimming without actually trimming out resistor's value of a resistor. The invention also allows design of thermal isolation to minimize or optimize resistance variation of the overall compound resistance.

Abstract: There are described various methods and circuits for trimming the parameter value of a thermally mutable electrical component in two directions. A sequence of heat pulses is selected as a function of thermal history using an adaptive trimming algorithm, where parameters of the sequence of heat pulses are based on a resulting impact of previous heating pulses. Direction of trimming, trimming increment, and remaining trimming distance can all be used to determine the parameters of succeeding heat pulses, wherein the parameters of the pulses can be, for example, amplitude, duration, and time interval between pulses.

Abstract: There is described methods and circuits for trimming a temperature coefficient of change of a parameter of at least one electrical component while maintaining a substantially constant parameter value, the method comprising applying a heating cycle to trim said parameter value away from a target parameter value and back to said target parameter value, whereby the temperature coefficient of change is modified after applying said heating cycle.

Abstract: A method for arranging a plurality of thermally isolated microstructures over at least one cavity, each of the microstructures housing at least part of a thermally-trimmable resistor, the thermally-trimmable resistor having at least a functional resistor, the method comprising: providing pairs of facing microstructures; grouping together sets of pairs of facing microstructures, each of the sets having at least one pair of facing microstructures; and arranging microstructures within a given set to have each microstructure exposed to heat from a same number of facing, side, and diagonal neighbors of microstructures from a same resistor.

Abstract: There are described various methods and circuits for trimming the parameter value of a thermally mutable electrical component in two directions. A sequence of heat pulses is selected as a function of thermal history using an adaptive trimming algorithm, where parameters of the sequence of heat pulses are based on a resulting impact of previous heating pulses. Direction of trimming, trimming increment, and remaining trimming distance can all be used to determine the parameters of succeeding heat pulses, wherein the parameters of the pulses can be, for example, amplitude, duration, and time interval between pulses.

Abstract: There is described a method to change the value of a thermally-trimmable resistor in a non-permanent way by raising the temperature of the thermally-trimmable resistor to a level that is somewhere between room temperature and trimming temperature. By doing this, the trimming range that is available via true thermal trimming may be explored without actually trimming the value of the resistor. This is possible when the thermal Iy-trimmable resistor, or a portion thereof, has an essentially non-zero temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR).

Abstract: The thermal isolation of a thermally-trimmable resistor has a direct impact on temperature rise. It is possible to design the thermal isolation of the portions of a compound resistor to minimize or optimize the resistance variation of the overall compound resistor. The resistance variation of the overall compound resistor due to self-heating of its portions can be reduced or optimized, by designing different thermal isolation for each of the portions, such that compensation and/or optimization can occur. Furthermore, one can also design such different thermal isolation of the portions of a compound resistor to minimize resistance variation over a trim range of a compound resistor due to self-heating.

Abstract: Electro-thermal trimming of thermally-trimmable resistors is used to trim one or more of the plurality of resistors in or associated with an analog electric circuit. The TCR of each of a subset of a plurality of electro-thermally-trimmable resistors can be trimmed independently from the resistance in order to adjust the output parameter of an analog electric circuit without changing other parameters that would be affected by a change in resistance.

Abstract: A circuit for trimming a thermally-trimmable resistor, measuring a temperature coefficient of resistance of the thermally-trimmable resistor, and annealing a thermally-trimmable resistor post-trimming, the circuit comprising: a thermally-isolated area on a substrate housing the thermally-trimmable resistor; heating circuitry for applying a signal to a heating resistor; and a constant-power module adapted to maintain power dissipated in the heating resistor substantially constant over a duration of the signal by varying at least one parameter of the signal as a result of a change in resistance of the heating resistor during the signal.

Abstract: There is described a method and sub-circuit to measure temperature coefficients (coefficient of variation of a measurable parameter of the component), by using a thermally-isolated silicon micro-platform with a mass of mono-crystalline silicon suspended from it. The particular effectiveness of the measurement of temperature coefficient(s) stems from the influence of the mono-crystalline silicon mass in maintaining a substantially uniform temperature throughout the micro-platform. The measurement of temperature coefficient can be an absolute temperature coefficient of one or more components, or can be a relative temperature coefficient of two components, or can be relative temperature coefficients between more than two components.

Abstract: There is described a method for producing a packaged integrated circuit. The method comprises a first step of building an integrated circuit having a micro-structure suspended above a micro-cavity, and having a heating element on the micro-structure capable of heating itself and its immediate surroundings. A layer of protective material is then deposited on said micro-structure such that at least a top surface of the micro-structure and an opening of the micro-cavity is covered, wherein the protective material is in a solid state at room temperature and can protect the micro-structure during silicon wafer dicing procedures and subsequent packaging. The integrated circuit is packaged and an electric current is passed through the heating element such that a portion of the protective material is removed and an unobstructed volume is provided above and below the micro-structure.

Abstract: There is described a method for creating a thermally-isolated microstructure on a slab of mono-crystalline silicon which uses a hybrid dry-then-wet etch technique that when controlled, can produce microstructures without any silicon adhering underneath, microstructures having small masses of silicon adhering underneath, and microstructures that are still attached to the slab of mono-crystalline silicon via a waisted silicon body. When creating the microstructures with a waisted silicon body, the thermal isolation of the microstructure can be designed by controlling the depth of the etching and the size of the waist.

Abstract: There is provided a method and circuit for trimming a functional resistor on a thermally isolated micro-platform such that a second functional resistor on the same micro-platform remains substantially untrimmed; a method and circuit for providing and trimming a circuit such that at least two circuit elements of the circuit are subjected to a same operating environment and the operating environment is compensated for by distributing heat generated during operation of the circuit among the two circuit elements; a method and circuit for trimming a functional resistor on a thermally-isolated micro-platform such that a constant temperature distribution is obtained across the functional resistor; and a method and circuit for calculating a temperature coefficient of resistance of a functional resistor.

Abstract: There is described a method and sub-circuit to measure temperature coefficients (coefficient of variation of a measurable parameter of the component), by using a thermally-isolated silicon micro-platform with a mass of mono-crystalline silicon suspended from it. The particular effectiveness of the measurement of temperature coefficient(s) stems from the influence of the mono-crystalline silicon mass in maintaining a substantially uniform temperature throughout the micro-platform. The measurement of temperature coefficient can be an absolute temperature coefficient of one or more components, or can be a relative temperature coefficient of two components, or can be relative temperature coefficients between more than two components.