Self-powered integrated circuit with multi-junction photovoltaic cell

A method of forming an integrated circuit with a photovoltaic cell, comprising:

• implanting a back side of a silicon wafer of given conductivity type with germanium to form a region of silicon germanium material at a first depth into the wafer back surface;
• implanting the back side of the wafer with carbon to form a region of silicon carbon material at a second depth into the wafer back surface, the second depth being less than the first depth and the region of silicon carbon material being spaced from the region of silicon germanium material by a region of silicon material substantially free of germanium or carbon atoms;
• implanting the back side of the wafer with a dopant of opposite conductivity type to form first doped regions of respective pn junctions in series of a photovoltaic cell in each of the regions of silicon germanium, silicon and silcon carbon material, with a second doped region of each of the pn junctions in series being at least partially defined by a second doped region of the given conductivity type of the wafer;
• doping an upper region of a front side of the wafer with dopant of both the given and opposite conductivity types to form well regions and source/drain regions of PMOS and NMOS transistors;
• forming first and second contacts for the PMOS and NMOS transistors;
• forming respective first and second via contacts from an uppermost and lowermost one of the first and second doped regions to the front side through the substrate;
• and
• forming respective electrical interconnects from the first and second via contacts to the first and second contacts of the PMOS and NMOS transistors;
• whereby operation of the photovoltaic cell serves as a power source for powering circuitry including the PMOS and NMOS transistors.