Calibration-free temperature measurement

Aspects of the invention include a sensor that senses the absolute temperature of a device, such as an integrated circuit ("IC"). The sensor may be embodied in the IC and have first and second pieces of electrically conductive material each having an intrinsic Seebeck coefficient and a pair of contacts located at proximal and distal ends of the pieces of material. The intrinsic Seebeck coefficients differ between the two pieces of material. At least one heater is disposed at the proximal ends of the first and second pieces material and radiates heat which causes a temperature difference to form across each of the first and second pieces of material, thereby causing a voltage to form across first and second pieces of material. A measure circuit measures the voltage formed across each of the first and second pieces of material and determines an absolute temperature from at least the measured voltages.