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US 8,298,848 B2Granted
Method of generating electrical energy in an integrated circuit during the operation of the latter, corresponding integrated circuit and method of fabrication
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS
InventorsChristian Rivero, Pascal Fornara
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An integrated circuit may include a region containing a thermoelectric material and be configured to be subjected to a temperature gradient resulting from a flow of an electric current in a part of the integrated circuit during its operation, and an electrically conducting output coupled to the region for delivering the electrical energy produced by thermoelectric material.
Claims14
A method of generating energy in an integrated circuit, the method comprising:
- producing at least one temperature gradient in at least one region of the integrated circuit from a flow of a current in at least one part of the integrated circuit during operation thereof;
- and
- producing electrical energy using at least one thermoelectric material contained in the at least one region subjected to the at least one temperature gradient, the at least one region with the at least one thermoelectric material being in a location provided for at least one dummy interconnection line of the integrated circuit.
A method of making an integrated circuit comprising:
- forming at least one region in the integrated circuit for positioning at least one thermoelectric material, the at least one region to be subjected to at least one temperature gradient from a flow of a current in part of the integrated circuit during operation thereof, the at least one region with the at least one thermoelectric material being in a location provided for at least one dummy interconnection line of the integrated circuit;
- and
- forming an electrically conductive output coupled to the at least one region for delivering electrical energy produced by the at least one thermoelectric material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.