Patent ID: 7943977

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a complementary metal oxide semiconductor image sensor; a cooling device formed under the complementary metal oxide semiconductor image sensor for selectively cooling the complementary metal oxide semiconductor image sensor; and a heat sink formed under the cooling device, wherein the cooling device comprises a direct current, PN junction thermoelectric semiconductor, wherein the direct current, PN junction thermoelectric semiconductor comprises: a first conduction layer composed of a first conductive type material, a second conduction layer adjacent to the first conduction layer and composed of a second conductive type material, a third conduction layer adjacent the second conduction layer and composed of the first conductive type material, and a fourth conduction layer adjacent the third conduction layer and composed of the second conductive type material; a separation layer interposed between adjacent conduction layers; a lower conducting layer electrically connecting the conduction layers; and an upper conducting layer provided over and in contact with the first, second, third and fourth conduction layers, wherein the first conductive type material comprises an N-type material and the second conductive type material comprises a P-type material, wherein the lower conducting layer is provided under and in contact with the first, second, third and fourth conduction layers, wherein the upper conducting layer comprises: a first upper conducting layer provided over and in contact with the first and second conduction layers; and a second upper conducting layer provided over and in contact with the third and fourth conduction layers, wherein the lower conducting layer comprises: a first lower conducting layer provided under and in contact with the first conduction layer; a second lower conducting layer provided under and in contact with the second and third conduction layers; a third lower conducting layer provided under and in contact with the fourth conduction layer; a lower insulator layer provided between the lower electrical conducting layer and the heat sink; and an upper insulator layer provided between the upper conducting layer and the CMOS image sensor, and wherein the upper insulator layer is provided over and in contact with the second and third conduction layers and the first and second upper conducting layers.