Thermal Resistance Model for Standard CMOS Thermoelectric Generator

Abstract

In this paper, an accurate thermal resistance model for a micro-thermoelectric generator ( $\mu $ TEG) designed using standard complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology is presented. The optimal dimensions for the $\mu $ TEG are determined based on the new $\mu $ TEG thermal model. The presented models are verified with three-dimensional numerical simulations and compared to published experimental results and the presented models exhibited very good accuracy. An improved output power is obtained when using the new thermal resistance model to determine accurate optimal device dimensions. In this paper, a 1-cm2 cross sectional area $\mu $ TEG based on a $0.13~\mu \text{m}$ UMC standard CMOS technology is proposed. An output power of $9.25~\mu \text{W}$ is produced at 2.34 K of temperature difference between the hot and cold sides of the $\mu $ TEG. The introduced compact models for thermal resistance and the delivered power model are compatible with SPICE based simulators and hence can be integrated with circuit simulations.