ating ▁and ▁cool ing ▁is ▁determined ▁by ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁current ▁flow ▁and ▁the ▁sign ▁of ▁the ▁majority ▁elect rical ▁car rier ▁in ▁the ▁therm oe lect ric ▁material . ▁ ▁Th erm oe lect ric ▁power ▁generation ▁( TE G ) ▁on ▁the ▁other ▁hand ▁occurs ▁when ▁the ▁thermal ▁b ump ▁is ▁subject ed ▁to ▁a ▁temperature ▁gradient ▁( i . e ., ▁the ▁top ▁is ▁hot ter ▁than ▁the ▁bottom ). ▁ ▁In ▁this ▁instance , ▁the ▁device ▁generates ▁current , ▁converting ▁heat ▁into ▁elect rical ▁power . ▁This ▁is ▁term ed ▁the ▁Se eb e ck ▁effect . ▁ ▁The ▁thermal ▁b ump ▁was ▁developed ▁by ▁Next reme ▁Th erm al ▁Sol utions ▁as ▁a ▁method ▁for ▁integr ating ▁active ▁thermal ▁management ▁functionality ▁at ▁the ▁chip ▁level ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁manner ▁that ▁trans ist ors , ▁resist ors ▁and ▁capac itors ▁are ▁integrated ▁in ▁conventional ▁circuit ▁designs ▁today . ▁▁ ▁Next reme ▁chose ▁the ▁co pper ▁pill ar ▁b ump ▁as ▁an ▁integration ▁strategy ▁due ▁to ▁its ▁w ides p read ▁accept ance ▁by ▁Intel , ▁Am kor ▁and ▁other ▁industry ▁leaders ▁as ▁the ▁method ▁for ▁connecting ▁micro process ors ▁and ▁other ▁advanced ▁electron ics ▁devices ▁to ▁various ▁surfaces ▁during ▁a ▁process ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁“ f lip - ch ip ” ▁pack aging . ▁ ▁The ▁thermal ▁b ump ▁can ▁be ▁integrated ▁as ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁standard ▁f lip - ch ip ▁process ▁( Fig ure ▁ 1 ) ▁or ▁integrated ▁as ▁discrete ▁devices . ▁ ▁The ▁efficiency