Patent ID: 11925119
Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
Field: Basic communication processes (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 0:
1. A system on an integrated circuit (IC) chip, comprising:
an input terminal and a return terminal;
a heater coupled between the input terminal and the return terminal;
a thermopile spaced apart from the heater by a galvanic isolation region and having a thermopile output, wherein the thermopile is comprised of a plurality of thermoelectric cells, each thermoelectric cell including:
a p-doped region in a substrate, wherein the p-doped region includes first and second p-type extensions through an oxide layer to a second lateral surface of the oxide layer;
an n-doped region in the substrate, wherein the n-doped region includes first and second n-type extensions through the oxide layer to the second lateral surface of the oxide layer;
a first metallic connection coupled to the first p-type extension, wherein the first metallic connection extends into an intermetal dielectric region;
a second metallic connection coupled to the first n-type extension, wherein the second metallic connection extends into the intermetal dielectric region;
first, second and third lateral interconnects within the intermetal dielectric region and laterally displaced from one another, wherein the first lateral interconnect is coupled to the first and second metallic connections, the second lateral interconnect is coupled to the second p-type extension, and the third lateral interconnect is coupled to the second n-type extension; and

a switch device having a control input and a switch output, wherein the control input is coupled to the thermopile output, and the switch output is coupled to at least one output terminal of the IC chip.