US 12,259,285 B2
Package stress sensor
George Pieter Reitsma, Redwood City, CA (US); and Kalin V. Lazarov, Colorado Springs, CO (US)
Assigned to Analog Devices, Inc., Wilmington, MA (US)
Filed by Analog Devices, Inc., Wilmington, MA (US)
Filed on Aug. 2, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/816,979.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/233,096, filed on Aug. 13, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0049755 A1, Feb. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. G01L 1/00 (2006.01); G01R 19/10 (2006.01)
CPC G01L 1/005 (2013.01) [G01R 19/10 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
providing an excitation signal to an emitter of a first bipolar transistor device, the transistor device comprising first and different second collectors coupled to a base region of the transistor device;
responsive to the excitation signal, measuring a first collector current from the first collector of the transistor device;
responsive to the excitation signal, measuring a second collector current from the second collector of the transistor device;
determining a magnitude difference between the first and second collector currents, wherein the magnitude difference corresponds to a carrier mobility characteristic of the base region of the transistor device; and
determining a physical stress indicator about the transistor device based on the magnitude difference between the first and second collector currents.