The effects of an inhomogeneous stress field on the heat transport in semiconductors are qualitatively studied. Stress‐induced spatial variations in lattice constant results in changes in phonon frequency and hence, in the phonon distribution leading to diffusion of phonons which constitutes heat flux at the macroscopic level. It is also found that this leads to a fractional change in thermal conductivity that is linear with the local stress tensor. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.