Method of wireless communication using thermoelectric generators
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
H01L-027/16
H01L-035/02
H01L-023/38
H01L-035/34
출원번호
US-0979282
(2015-12-22)
등록번호
US-10249679
(2019-04-02)
우선권정보
FR-11 59718 (2011-10-26)
발명자
/ 주소
Fornara, Pascal
Rivero, Christian
출원인 / 주소
STMICROELECTRONICS (ROUSSET) SAS
대리인 / 주소
Slater Matsil, LLP
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
3
초록▼
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
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.
대표청구항▼
1. A method, comprising: generating a first signal by a first device, the first signal having a first value or a second value;electrically powering a first thermoelectric generator as a function of the first signal to generate a first thermal gradient in the first thermoelectric generator, wherein t
1. A method, comprising: generating a first signal by a first device, the first signal having a first value or a second value;electrically powering a first thermoelectric generator as a function of the first signal to generate a first thermal gradient in the first thermoelectric generator, wherein the first thermoelectric generator comprises a plurality of semiconducting regions disposed at least in part in an interconnect region of a first integrated circuit, the interconnect region being disposed above a semiconducting substrate of the first integrated circuit, wherein the interconnect region comprises a plurality of metallization layers disposed in one or more insulation materials, the plurality of semiconducting regions underlies the plurality of metallization layers, and wherein a first metallization layer of the plurality of metallization layers extends between a second metallization layer of the plurality of metallization layers and the plurality of semiconducting regions in a direction that is perpendicular to a major surface of the semiconducting substrate;generating a second thermal gradient in a second thermoelectric generator, the second thermal gradient caused by the first thermal gradient; andgenerating a second signal by a second device on a basis of electrical energy produced by the second thermoelectric generator in response to the second thermal gradient, the second signal having a third value or a fourth value, wherein when the first signal has the first value the second signal has the third value, and when the first signal has the second value the second signal has the fourth value. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second thermoelectric generators are disposed beside each other in the first integrated circuit. 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 signal is generated by a first signal generator, and the first signal generator is disposed in the first integrated circuit; andthe second signal is generated by a second signal generator, and the second signal generator is disposed in the first integrated circuit. 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the first signal is a control signal for activating a circuit in the first integrated circuit. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first value and the third value are the same, and wherein the second value and the fourth value are the same. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first signal is generated by a second integrated circuit, and the second integrated circuit is disposed over the interconnect region, and wherein the second signal is generated by a third integrated circuit, and the third integrated circuit is disposed over the interconnect region. 8. A method comprising: receiving, by a first thermoelectric generator, a first logic signal having one of a first state or a second state, wherein the first thermoelectric generator is disposed in an integrated circuit, the first thermoelectric generator comprises a first set of thermocouples, the first set of thermocouples comprises a plurality of parallel semiconducting regions extending along a first surface of a semiconductor substrate of the integrated circuit, the plurality of parallel semiconducting regions are separated by a plurality of parallel isolating regions, and wherein the plurality of parallel semiconducting regions are electrically connected by a plurality of vias and a plurality of metallic tracks, the plurality of metallic tracks being disposed in a first metallization level of a plurality of metallization levels of an interconnect region of the integrated circuit, wherein the plurality of metallic tracks overlies the plurality of parallel semiconducting regions in a direction that is perpendicular to the first surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein a first surface of the plurality of metallic tracks is closest to the plurality of parallel semiconducting regions but does not contact the plurality of parallel semiconducting regions, and wherein the plurality of vias extends between the first surface of the plurality of metallic tracks and the plurality of parallel semiconducting regions in the direction that is perpendicular to the first surface of the semiconductor substrate;generating, by the first thermoelectric generator, a first thermal gradient in the first set of thermocouples in response to the first logic signal being in the first state;communicating, by the first thermoelectric generator, the first logic signal to a second thermoelectric generator by generating a second thermal gradient in a second set of thermocouples, the second thermal gradient caused by the first thermal gradient in the first set of thermocouples;generating, by the second thermoelectric generator, a second logic signal based on the second thermal gradient; andusing the second logic signal as an input to a control circuit. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein generating the first thermal gradient comprises generating a first potential between two input terminals of the first set of thermocouples in response to the first logic signal. 10. The method of claim 8, wherein generating the second logic signal comprises generating a second voltage potential between two output terminals of the second set of thermocouples. 11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the second thermoelectric generator comprises a second set of thermocouples, the second set of thermocouples is disposed at least in part in the interconnect region of the integrated circuit, the interconnect region comprises the plurality of metallization levels, and the plurality of metallization levels is disposed above the first set of thermocouples and the second set of thermocouples. 12. The method according to claim 11, wherein semiconducting regions of the plurality of parallel semiconducting regions are electrically connected in series by the plurality of vias and the plurality of metallic tracks. 13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first logic signal is generated by a first signal generator, and the first signal generator is disposed over the interconnect region, and wherein the second logic signal is generated by a second signal generator, and the second signal generator is disposed over the interconnect region. 14. A method comprising: receiving a first signal by a first device, the first device disposed inside a first integrated circuit;electrically powering a first thermoelectric generator as a function of the first signal so as to generate a first thermal gradient in the first thermoelectric generator, wherein the first thermoelectric generator is disposed underneath a plurality of metallization layers of an interconnect region, wherein the first integrated circuit is disposed on the interconnect region, and wherein the first thermoelectric generator and conductive features of the interconnect region are disposed in a same insulating material;generating a second thermal gradient in a second thermoelectric generator, the second thermal gradient being caused by the first thermal gradient, the second thermoelectric generator being disposed underneath the plurality of metallization layers of the interconnect region in the same insulating material; andgenerating a second signal by a second device on a basis of electrical energy produced by the second thermoelectric generator in response to the second thermal gradient, the second device being comprised within a second integrated circuit, the second integrated circuit being disposed on the interconnect region. 15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the first integrated circuit is coupled to the interconnect region by a plurality of conductive balls. 16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the interconnect region is comprised in an interposer, the interposer being electrically connected to a circuit board. 17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the first signal is a control signal for activating a circuit in the second integrated circuit. 18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the first thermoelectric generator comprises a plurality of parallel semiconducting regions. 19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the second thermoelectric generator comprises a plurality of parallel semiconducting regions. 20. The method according to claim 19, wherein semiconducting regions of the plurality of parallel semiconducting regions are electrically connected in series.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (3)
Rivero, Christian; Fornara, Pascal, Method of generating electrical energy in an integrated circuit during the operation of the latter, corresponding integrated circuit and method of fabrication.
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