Method of Wireless Communication using Thermoelectric Generators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016111470-A1
Application number	US-201514979282-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 22, 2015
Priority date	Oct 26, 2011
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Method of Wireless Communication using Thermoelectric Generators Method of wireless communication between a first device and a second device, in which, the first device and the second device comprising respectively a first thermoelectric generator and a second thermoelectric generator, the two thermoelectric generators being in thermal coupling, a first signal is generated within the first device, the first thermoelectric generator is electrically powered as a function of the first signal so as to create a first thermal gradient in the said first generator and a second thermal gradient in the second generator, and a second signal is generated within the second device on the basis of the electrical energy produced by the second thermoelectric generator in response to the said second thermal gradient.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of wireless communication between a first device and a second device, the first device comprising a first thermoelectric generator and the second device a second thermoelectric generator, the first and second thermoelectric generators configured to be thermally coupled, the method comprising:
receiving a first signal at the first device; electrically powering the first thermoelectric generator as a function of the first signal so as to generate a first thermal gradient in the first generator; communicating the first signal to the second device by generating a second thermal gradient in the second generator, the second thermal gradient caused by the first thermal gradient; and generating a second signal within the second device on a basis of electrical energy produced by the second thermoelectric generator in response to the second thermal gradient, a value of the second signal being proportional to the value of the first signal.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second thermoelectric generators are disposed beside each other in a substrate.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second thermoelectric generators are disposed at least in part one above the other.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first device and the second device are incorporated within the same integrated circuit.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first signal is generated by a first signal generator, the first signal generator disposed in a first die, the first die connected to an interposer; and the second signal is generated by a second signal generator, the second signal generator disposed in a second die, the second die connected to the interposer.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the first thermoelectric generator and the second thermoelectric generator are disposed in the interposer.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the interposer is connected to a printed circuit board.

8 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the first signal is a control signal for activating a circuit in the second die.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first signal is a first logic signal capable of taking a first logic state and a second logic state; the second signal is a second logic signal capable of taking the first logic state and the second logic state; the first generator is electrically powered in a presence of the first logic signal having the first logic state; the second logic signal having the first logic state is generated in a presence of electrical energy produced by the second thermoelectric generator; and the second logic signal having the second logic state is generated in the absence of electrical energy produced by the second thermoelectric generator.

10 . A method comprising:
receiving a first logic signal having one of a first state or a second state; generating a first thermal gradient in a first thermocouple in response to the first logic signal being in the first state; communicating the first logic signal by generating a second thermal gradient in a second thermocouple, the second thermal gradient caused by the first thermal gradient in the first thermocouple; generating a second logic signal based on the second thermal gradient, the second logic signal having a value that corresponds with the first state of the first logic signal; and using the second logic signal as an input to a control circuit.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein generating the first thermal gradient comprises generating a first potential between two input terminals of the first thermocouple in response to the first logic signal.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein generating the second electrical signal comprises generating a second voltage potential between two output terminals of the second thermocouple.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the first thermocouple is adjacent the second thermocouple.

14 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein:
the first logic signal is generated by a first signal generator, the first signal generator disposed in a first die that is connected to an interposer; and the second logic signal is generated by a second signal generator, the second signal generator disposed in a second die that is connected to the interposer.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the first thermocouple and the second thermocouple are disposed in an interconnect region of the interposer, the interconnect region comprising a plurality of metallization layers disposed adjacent the first thermocouple and the second thermocouple.

16 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein the interposer is connected to a printed circuit board.

17 . A method comprising:
placing an interposer over a printed circuit board, the interposer comprising:
an interconnect region that comprises a plurality of metallization layers;
a first thermoelectric generator disposed under the plurality of metallization layers;
a second thermoelectric generator disposed under the plurality of metallization layers; and
placing a first die and a second die over the interposer; wherein the first die includes a signal input coupled to an electrical input of the first thermoelectric generator; wherein the first thermoelectric generator is thermally coupled to the second thermoelectric generator; and wherein the second die comprises a signal output coupled to an output of the second thermoelectric generator.

18 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein each of the first thermoelectric generator and the second thermoelectric generator comprise a semiconducting substrate and parallel isolating regions and a set of thermocouples connected electrically in series and connected thermally in parallel.

19 . The method according to claim 18 , wherein the first thermoelectric generator is positioned beside the second thermoelectric generator.

20 . The method according to claim 18 , wherein the first thermoelectric generator is positioned above the second thermoelectric generator.

Assignees

• St Microelectronics Rousset

Inventors

• Fornara Pascal
• Rivero Christian

Classifications

• H10W90/724

  between a chip and a stacked insulating package substrate, interposer or RDL · CPC title

• H10W40/28 Primary

  comprising Peltier coolers · CPC title

• H01L35/34

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L35/02

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L27/16 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic