Programmable thermal emulator test die

Claim 1

A programmable die for simulating the thermal characteristics of a given product die, comprising: a die having a plurality of bond pads arrayed along the perimeter thereof; a plurality of heating resistor groups, each group including one or more linear resistive elements, said plurality of resistor groups being disposed in a lesser plurality of generally concentric rings on a major surface of said die; a plurality of sense diodes formed in said die surface at a plurality of locations in proximity to said heating resistor groups; a plurality of hot spot resistors formed in said die surface at another plurality of locations in proximity to said heating resistor groups and said sense diodes; and interconnection array, having a plurality of electrical signal conductors disposed on said die major surface, each connected between a related one of said bond pads and, alternately, to one of said heating resistor groups, said sense diodes, and said hot spot resistors, whereby said array conducts electrical signals applied to said bond pads to individual ones of said heating resistor groups, said sense diodes, and said hot spot resistors, whereby said heating resistors and said hot spot resistors provide, when excited, an actual surface temperature value for said die, and wherein said sense diodes each provide a signal indicative of said actual surface temperature.