Patent ID: 7307328

Claim:
A semiconductor device, comprising: a semiconductor body; and a temperature sensor integrated in the semiconductor body, the temperature sensor comprising a MOS transistor and a bipolar transistor connected to the MOS transistor; wherein: the MOS transistor comprises a source region and a drain region having a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type, a section of the semiconductor body arranged between the source region and the drain region forming a body region of the MOS transistor, the bipolar transistor comprises controlled electrode regions consisting of the section of the semiconductor body arranged between the source region and the drain region and of a highly doped region of the first conductivity type forming a pn junction with the drain zone so that the drain region of the MOS transistor constitutes a base of the bipolar transistor which is configured as a floating base, the highly doped region of the bipolar transistor is electrically connected to a gate electrode of the MOS transistor, and the temperature sensor further comprises first and second metal connections each for supplying respective operation potentials to the source region and the highly doped zone of the bipolar transistor for operating the temperature sensor such that a sub-threshold current of the MOS transistor that changes upon temperature change of the semiconductor body is amplified by the bipolar transistor.