Method for Generation of Electrical Power within a Three-Dimensional Integrated Structure and Corresponding Link Device
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS
InventorsPascal Fornara, Christian Rivero
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Method for generation of electrical power within a three-dimensional integrated structure comprising several elements electrically interconnected by a link device, the method comprising the production of a temperature gradient in at least one region of the link device resulting from the operation of at least one of the said elements, and the production of electrical power using at least one thermo-electric generator comprising at least one assembly of thermocouples electrically connected in series and thermally connected in parallel and contained within the said region subjected to the said temperature gradient.
Claims36
1-20. (canceled)
A method for generating electrical power within a three-dimensional integrated structure that comprises a plurality of elements electrically interconnected by a link device, the method comprising:
- operating one of the elements thereby producing a temperature gradient in a region of the link device;
- and
- producing electrical power using a thermo-electric generator comprising an assembly of thermocouples electrically connected in series and thermally connected in parallel and contained within the region subjected to the temperature gradient.
A device used to interconnect electrical components, the device comprising:
- a body;
- an electrical interconnect configured for the interconnection of the electrical components;
- and
- a thermo-electric generator comprising an assembly of thermocouples electrically connected in series and thermally connected in parallel.
An electronic device comprising:
- a linking element;
- a plurality of elements electrically interconnected by the linking element;
- a thermo-electric generator within the linking element and thermally coupled with at least one of the elements, wherein the thermo-electric generator comprises an assembly of thermocouples electrically connected in series and thermally connected in parallel;
- and
- an electrical conductor coupled to the generator in order to deliver electrical power produced by the generator.
An electronic device comprising:
- a circuit board;
- an interposer overlying the circuit board and electrically connected thereto, the interposer comprising a semiconductor substrate, a thermo-electric generator being formed within the semiconductor substrate, wherein the thermo-electric generator comprises an assembly of thermocouples electrically connected in series and thermally connected in parallel;
- and
- a plurality of integrated circuits overlying the interposer and electrically interconnected by the interposer, at least one of the integrated circuits being thermally coupled to the thermo-electric generator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.