Method of generating electrical energy in an integrated circuit during the operation of the latter, corresponding integrated circuit and method of fabrication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8941205-B2
Application number	US-201213646828-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2012
Priority date	Jun 4, 2009
Publication date	Jan 27, 2015
Grant date	Jan 27, 2015

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.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. An integrated circuit comprising:
at least one region comprising a thermoelectric material subject to a temperature gradient;
at least one dummy interconnection line adjacent said at least one region; and
an output configured to deliver electrical energy produced by the thermoelectric material.

2. The integrated circuit according to claim 1 further comprising:
active components; and
an electrically conductive interconnect…

Assignees

• St Microelectronics Rousset

Inventors

• Rivero Christian
• Fornara Pascal

Classifications

• H01L35/00

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L27/16

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L35/30 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L37/00

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H10N15/00

  Electricity · mapped topic