System and method for calibrating temperatures sensor for integrated circuits

1. A method for calibrating integrated circuit temperature sensors, comprising:

sensing a first temperature using a first temperature sensor and a second temperature using a second temperature sensor, wherein the first temperature sensor is calibrated and is external to a package of the integrated circuit, and wherein the second temperature sensor is included in the integrated circuit;

increasing a temperature of the integrated circuit;

allowing the integrated circuit and the package to thermally equilibrate over a first period of time;

sensing a first slope of a temperature decay by the first temperature sensor;

sensing a second slope of a temperature decay by the second temperature sensor;

comparing the first temperature to the second temperature to determine a temperature offset;

comparing the first slope to the second slope to determine a slope offset; and

calibrating the second temperature sensor using the temperature offset and the slope offset.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said increasing comprises increasing an applied voltage to the integrated circuit such that the temperature of the integrated circuit is increased.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said increasing comprises executing a power intensive program on a processor included in the integrated circuit.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second temperature sensor is initially uncalibrated.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said sensing a first slope comprises sensing at least a third and a fourth temperature over a second period of time using the first temperature sensor.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said sensing a second slope comprises sensing at least a fifth and a sixth temperature over a third period of time using the second temperatures sensor.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second period of time and the third period of time are substantially equivalent.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said calibrating comprises using the first temperature and the first slope as a standard and adjusting for differences between the first temperature and the first slope and the second temperature and the second slope.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising burning in a correction in the second temperature sensor using the calibration.

10. A non-transitory computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions for calibrating integrated circuit temperature sensors, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to:

sense a first temperature using a first temperature sensor and a second temperature using a second temperature sensor, wherein the first temperature sensor is calibrated and is external to a package of the integrated circuit, and wherein the second temperature sensor is included in the integrated circuit;

increase a temperature of the integrated circuit;

allow the integrated circuit and the package to thermally equilibrate over a first period of time;

sense a first slope of a temperature decay by the first temperature sensor;

sense a second slope of a temperature decay by the second temperature sensor;

compare the first temperature to the second temperature to determine a temperature offset;

compare the first slope to the second slope to determine a slope offset; and

calibrate the second temperature sensor using the temperature offset and the slope offset.

11. The memory medium of claim 10 , wherein said increase comprises increasing an applied voltage to the integrated circuit such that the temperature of the integrated circuit is increased.

12. The memory medium of claim 10 , wherein said increase comprises executing a power intensive program on a processor included in the integrated circuit.

13. The memory medium of claim 10 , wherein said calibrate comprises using the first temperature and the first slope as a standard and adjusting for differences between the first temperature and the first slope and the second temperature and the second slope.

14. The memory medium of claim 10 , wherein the second temperature sensor is initially uncalibrated.

15. The memory medium of claim 10 , wherein said sense a first slope comprises sensing at least a third and a fourth temperature over a second period of time using the first temperature sensor.

16. The memory medium of claim 15 , wherein said sense a second slope comprises sensing at least a fifth and a sixth temperature over a third period of time using the second temperatures sensor.

17. The memory medium of claim 16 , wherein the second period of time and the third period of time are substantially equivalent.

18. The memory medium of claim 10 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to burn in a correction in the second temperature sensor using the calibration.

19. A method for calibrating integrated circuit temperature sensors, comprising:

sensing a first temperature using a first temperature sensor and a second temperature using a second temperature sensor, wherein the first temperature sensor is calibrated and is external to a package of the integrated circuit, and wherein the second temperature sensor is included in the integrated circuit;

increasing a temperature of the integrated circuit comprising increasing an applied voltage to the integrated circuit such that the temperature of the integrated circuit is increased;

allowing the integrated circuit and the package to thermally equilibrate over a first period of time;

sensing a first slope of a temperature decay by the first temperature sensor;

sensing a second slope of a temperature decay by the second temperature sensor;

comparing the first temperature to the second temperature to determine a temperature offset;

comparing the first slope to the second slope to determine a slope offset;

calibrating the second temperature sensor using the temperature offset and the slope offset; and

burning in a correction in the second temperature sensor using the calibration.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein said increasing comprises executing a power intensive program on a processor included in the integrated circuit.