Sub-mK, On-Package Temperature Control for High-Performance Microsystem Applications

High-precision sensing applications require stable operating environments for the components, with temperature stability often being the most critical requirement. Existing methods for temperature control rely on a combination of device level (i.e., on-die) and system level (i.e., on-board and on-enclosure) temperature control and shielding to achieve the necessary temperature stability. However, die-level solutions offer limited postfabrication flexibility, while board/enclosure-level solutions contribute to increased system bulk and power consumption. Herein, we demonstrate a simple and versatile method of using on-package heaters and sensors for temperature control. Various configurations of surface-mount heaters and sensors were examined around a commercially available ceramic package. A simple proportional-integral temperature controller was developed and used for integrated temperature control. We demonstrate that the method achieves similar accuracies to having an on-die sensor, with sub-mK temperature stability achieved with a power consumption of approximately 500 mW. The presented approach offers a power-efficient, compact solution for precision temperature control that is applicable to a broad range of high-performance sensing applications.