CMOS BASED THERMAL ENERGY GENERATOR

Energy harvesting techniques have been used as a secondary power source in
various battery-operated applications to extend the operating time of the targeted
device supplementing to the limited power provided by the battery. Among numerous
techniques available, thermal energy harvesting has been the most widely practiced in
converting heat into electrical energy, as heat can be found in natural and also manmade
environments. Electrical energy is harvested from heat by means of thermal
energy generator (TEG) using Seebeck effect mechanism. The purpose of this study is
to propose a new concept of TEG with sufficient capability to detect temperature
differences between two junctions with standard CMOS microfabrication technology
compatibility. It consists of p-type and /?-type polysilicon thermocouples arranged
thermally in parallel and electrically in series.