Patent ID: 8847059

Claim:
A device, comprising: an integrated circuit formed in a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, a plurality of trench p-n junctions fabricated inside said semiconductor substrate, each trench p-n junction comprising a trench formed in the semiconductor substrate of the first conductivity type and a filling semiconductor material of a second, opposite, conductivity type filling said trench, a layer of semiconductor material of the second conductivity type overlying said semiconductor substrate and in contact with the filling semiconductor material of the second conductivity type for the plurality of trench p-n junctions, wherein the plurality of trench p-n junctions are thermally coupled by said semiconductor substrate to the integrated circuit and operable responsive to a heat flux resulting from operation of said integrated circuit to generate electrical energy, and electrically conductive circuitry formed within the semiconductor substrate and electrically connected to said plurality of trench p-n junctions, the electrically conductive circuitry operable to transport the electrical energy generated by said plurality of trench p-n junctions to a load.