CA2401810A1 - Thermal diode for energy conversion - Google Patents

Thermal diode for energy conversion Download PDF

Info

Publication number
CA2401810A1
CA2401810A1 CA002401810A CA2401810A CA2401810A1 CA 2401810 A1 CA2401810 A1 CA 2401810A1 CA 002401810 A CA002401810 A CA 002401810A CA 2401810 A CA2401810 A CA 2401810A CA 2401810 A1 CA2401810 A1 CA 2401810A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
converter
recited
collector
emitter
gap region
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
CA002401810A
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
CA2401810C (en
Inventor
Peter L. Hagelstein
Yan R. Kucherov
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
MicroPower Global Ltd
Original Assignee
Eneco, Inc.
Peter L. Hagelstein
Yan R. Kucherov
Maximillian & Co.
Micropower Global Limited
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US09/519,640 external-priority patent/US6489704B1/en
Application filed by Eneco, Inc., Peter L. Hagelstein, Yan R. Kucherov, Maximillian & Co., Micropower Global Limited filed Critical Eneco, Inc.
Publication of CA2401810A1 publication Critical patent/CA2401810A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2401810C publication Critical patent/CA2401810C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10N—ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10N10/00—Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects
    • H10N10/10—Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects operating with only the Peltier or Seebeck effects
    • H10N10/13—Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects operating with only the Peltier or Seebeck effects characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L29/00—Semiconductor devices adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching, or capacitors or resistors with at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier, e.g. PN junction depletion layer or carrier concentration layer; Details of semiconductor bodies or of electrodes thereof  ; Multistep manufacturing processes therefor
    • H01L29/66—Types of semiconductor device ; Multistep manufacturing processes therefor
    • H01L29/86—Types of semiconductor device ; Multistep manufacturing processes therefor controllable only by variation of the electric current supplied, or only the electric potential applied, to one or more of the electrodes carrying the current to be rectified, amplified, oscillated or switched
    • H01L29/92—Capacitors with potential-jump barrier or surface barrier
    • H01L29/93—Variable capacitance diodes, e.g. varactors
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J45/00—Discharge tubes functioning as thermionic generators
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L29/00—Semiconductor devices adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching, or capacitors or resistors with at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier, e.g. PN junction depletion layer or carrier concentration layer; Details of semiconductor bodies or of electrodes thereof  ; Multistep manufacturing processes therefor
    • H01L29/66—Types of semiconductor device ; Multistep manufacturing processes therefor
    • H01L29/86—Types of semiconductor device ; Multistep manufacturing processes therefor controllable only by variation of the electric current supplied, or only the electric potential applied, to one or more of the electrodes carrying the current to be rectified, amplified, oscillated or switched
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02N—ELECTRIC MACHINES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H02N3/00—Generators in which thermal or kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy by ionisation of a fluid and removal of the charge therefrom
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10N—ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10N10/00—Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects

Abstract

Solid state thermionic energy converter semiconductor diode implementation and method for conversion of thermal energy to electric energy, and electric energy to refrigeration.
In embodiments of this invention a highly doped N region (16) can serve as an emitter region, from which carriers can be injected into a gap region. The gap region can be P-type, intrinsic, or moderately doped N-type (14). A hot ohmic contact (20) is connected to the N-type region. A cold ohmic contact (12) serves as a collector and is connected to the other side of the gap region. The cold ohmic contact has a recombination region formed between the cold ohmic contact and the gap region and a blocking compensation layer that reduces the thermoelectric back flow component.
The heated emitter relative to the collector generates an EMF which drives current through a series load.
The inventive principle works for hole conductivity, as well as for electrons.

Claims (66)

1. A solid state thermionic converter, comprising:

an emitter having at least a region comprising a first donor having a concentration Nd*;

a collector; and a gap region between said emitter and said collector in electric and thermal communication with said emitter and said collector, said gap region comprising a semiconductor, said semiconductor comprising a second donor having a concentration Nd, said concentration of said second donor being selected such that the natural logarithm of the ratio Nd*/Nd is between a numerical value greater than 0 and about 7.
2. A converter as recited in claim 1, further comprising a compensated region disposed between said gap region and said collector, said compensated region being configured to suppress electric current from said collector to said gap region.
3. A converter as recited in claim 1, wherein said natural logarithm of the ratio Nd*/Nd, is in a range between about 3 and about 7.
4. A converter as recited in claim 1, wherein the temperature of said emitter is higher than the temperature of said collector when an electric current flows from said emitter to said collector.
5. A converter as recited in claim 1, wherein said emitter comprises a metal.
6. A converter as recited in claim 1 wherein said gap region comprises an n-type semiconductor.
7. A 'converter as recited in claim 1, further comprising a recombination region either disposed in electric communication between said gap region and said collector or comprising a portion of said collector in electric communication with said gap region.
8. A converter as recited in claim 1, wherein said emitter comprises InSb.
9. A converter as recited in claim 1, wherein said emitter comprises InSb doped with Te.
10. A converter as recited in claim 1, wherein said gap region comprises InSb doped with Te at a concentration in the range from about 10 16 Cm-3 to about 3 ~ 10 19 cm-3.
11. A converter as recited in claim 1, wherein said emitter comprises InSb doped with Te at a concentration in the range from about 10 18 cm-3 to about 3 ~ 10 19 cm-3.
12. A converter as recited in claim 1, wherein said gap region comprises InSb doped with Te at a concentration of about 10 18 cm-3.
13. A converter as recited in claim 1, wherein the thickness of said emitter is at least about 400 A.
14. A converter as recited in claim 1, wherein said gap region comprises a semiconductor whose dimensionless normalized conductivity x is within the range from about 1 to about 0.001.
15. A converter as recited in claim 1, wherein said gap region comprises HgSe.
16. A converter as recited in claim 1, wherein said gap region comprises HgTe.
17. A converter as recited in claim 1, wherein said gap region comprises Bi1-ySby, wherein y is within the range from about 0.05 to about 0.2.
18. A converter as recited in claim 1, wherein said gap region comprises Se Z Te1-z, wherein z satisfies 0 < z < 1.
19. A converter as recited in claim 1, wherein said gap region comprises Hg1_xCdXTe, wherein x is within the range from about 0.08 to about 0.2.
20. A converter as recited in claim 1, wherein said gap region comprises Hg1_xCdXTe, wherein x is about 0.08.
21. A converter as recited in claim 1, wherein said gap region comprises a doped semiconductor with a dopant concentration in the range from about 10 15 cm-3 to about 10 20 cm-3.
22. A converter as recited in claim 1, wherein said gap region comprises a p-type semiconductor.
23. A converter as recited in claim 1, wherein said gap region comprises an intrinsic semiconductor.
24. A converter as recited in claim 1, wherein the energy barrier for electron injection from said emitter to said gap region is in the range from about 4kBT
to about 5kBT, where kB is the Boltzman constant and T is the absolute temperature at which the electron injection takes place.
25. A converter as recited in claim 1, wherein said emitter is thermally insulated.
26. A converter as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a first ohmic contact in electric and thermal communication with said emitter;

a metal-semiconductor-interface-barrier-reduction layer between said first olunic contact and said emitter; and a second ohmic contact in electric communication with said collector.
27. A converter as recited in claim 26, wherein said collector is formed on said second ohmic contact.
28. A converter as recited in claim 26, further comprising a thermally conducting layer deposited on at least one of said first and second ohmic contacts.
29. A converter as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a cold ohmic contact in electric and thermal communication with said gap region, wherein said cold ohmic contact comprises said collector next to said gap region, wherein said collector includes a recombination collector region; and a compensated region disposed between said gap region and said collector, said compensated region being configured to suppress electric current from said collector to said gap region; and
30. A converter as recited in claim 29, wherein said recombination collector region is formed on said cold ohmic contact.
31. A converter as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a compensated region such that said gap region is located between said emitter and said compensated region, and wherein said collector is in electric and thermal contact with said compensated region, said compensated region having p-type doping such that electric current from said collector to said gap region can be substantially suppressed while allowing thermionic current from said gap region to said collector.
32. A converter as recited an claim 31, wherein the temperature of said emitter is higher than the temperature of said collector when an electric current flows between said emitter and said collector.
33. A solid state thermionic converter comprising a plurality of individual converters arranged in series, wherein each of said individual converters is configured as recited in claim 31.
34. A converter as recited in claim 31, wherein said compensated region is formed by ion implantation into said gap region.
35. A converter as recited in claim 31, wherein said compensated region comprises vacancies created by ion implantation.
36. A converter as recited in claim 31, wherein said emitter is thermally insulated.
37. A solid state thermionic converter of thermal energy, comprising:

an emitter having at least a reaction product of Hg1_XCdxTe with a substrate comprising In;

a collector; and a gap region between said emitter and said collector in electric and thermal communication with said emitter and said collector, said gap region comprising a semiconductor selected from the group consisting of n-type, p-type and intrinsic semiconductors.
38. A converter as recited in claim 37, further comprising a compensated region disposed between said gap region and said collector, said compensated region being configured to suppress electric current from said collector to said gap region.
39. A converter as recited in claim 37, wherein said substrate comprises In-Ga.
40. A converter as recited in claim 37, wherein x is within the range from about 0.08 to about 0.25.
41. A converter as recited in claim 37, wherein x is within the range from about 0.08 to about 0.09.
42. A converter as recited in claim 37, wherein said substrate comprises Inl_ WGaW, wherein w is within the range from about 0.1 to about 0.3.
43. A converter as recited in claim 37, wherein said emitter is provided with a diffusion barrier.
44. A converter as recited in claim 37, wherein said emitter is provided with a diffusion barrier comprising ytterbium.
45. A converter as recited in claim 37, wherein said emitter is thermally insulated.
46. A solid state thermionic converter of thermal energy, comprising:

a plurality of plates Pi, with 1 < i > m, where m is the total number of said plates, each one of said plates Pi having an emitter Ei having at least a region comprising a first donor having a concentration Nd*;

a collector Ci; and a gap region G; between said emitter E; and said collector C; in electric and thermal communication with said emitter E; and said collector Ci, said gap region Gi, comprising a semiconductor, said semiconductor comprising a second donor having a concentration Nd, said concentration of said second donor being selected such that the natural logarithm of the ratio Nd*/Nd, is between a numerical value greater than 0 and about 7, and such that 1 < i <_ m;
wherein each plate Pi having an emitter Ej+i,, a gap region Gj+i, and a collector Cj+i, so configured is connected in series with a group of an emitter Ej, a gap region Gj, and a collector Cj, for 1 < j < (m-1), the indexes i and j being integers, and such that collector Cj is in electric communication with emitter Ej+i for each j satisfying 1 < j < (m-1).
47 47. A converter as recited in claim 46, wherein said natural logarithm of the ratio Nd*/Nd, is in a range from about 3 to about 7.
48. A converter as recited in claim 46, further comprising a compensated region disposed between said gap region Gi and said collector Ci, said compensated region Ri being configured to suppress electric current from said collector to said gap region, wherein each plate Pj having an emitter Ej+1, a gap region Gj+1, a compensated region Rj+1, and a collector Cj+1, so configured is connected in series with a group of an emitter Ej, a gap region Gj, a compensated region Rj+1, and a collector Cj, for 1 < j<s (m-1).
49. A converter as recited in claim 48, wherein emitters Ei, and Ej comprise substantially the same materials, collectors Ci and Cj comprise substantially the same materials, and compensated regions Ri and Rj comprise substantially the same materials, fori.notidentj,and 1 <i<m,1<j<m.
50. A converter as recited in claim 46, such that the temperature of each of said emitter Ei; is higher than the temperature of each of said collector Ci when an electric current flows between said emitter Ei and said collector Ci.
51. A converter, as recited in claim 46, wherein said first plate P1 comprises InSb.
52. A converter as recited in claim 46, wherein said first plate P1 comprises InSb doped with Te.
53. A converter as recited in claim 46, wherein said first plate P1 comprises InSb doped with Te at a concentration of about 1018 cm-3.
54. A converter as recited in claim 46, wherein at least said first plate emitter E1 comprises InSb doped with Te.
55. A converter as recited an claim 46, wherein at least said first plate emitter Ei comprises InSb doped with Te at a concentration of about 3-10 19 cm-3.
56. A converter as recited in claim 46, wherein said first plate P1 is coated with a material comprising In-Ga.
57. A converter as recited in claim 46, wherein at least said first plate P1 is coated with a material having In 1_u Ga 09 , wherein a is in a range from about 0 to about 0.3.
58. A converter as recited in claim 46, wherein at least said first plate P1 is coated with a material having In 1_u Gau, wherein a is about 0.25.
59. A converter as recited in claim 46, wherein at least one of said plates comprises Hg1_XCdXTe, with x being in the range from about 0.08 to about 0.2.
60. A converter as recited in claim 46, wherein at least one of said plates comprises Hg1_xCdXTe, with x being in a range from about 0.08 to about 0.14.
61. A converter as recited in claim 46, wherein said first emitter E1 is thermally insulated.
62. A method for converting thermal energy into electricity by using a solid state thermionic converter, comprising:

electrically coupling a thermionic converter to an external load, said thermionic converter having an emitter;

a collector; and a gap region between said emitter and said collector in electric and thermal communication with said emitter and said collector;

and delivering thermal energy to said emitter of said thermionic converter such that a temperature gradient is established between said emitter and said collector, and an electric potential difference is established between said emitter and said collector when said thermal energy is delivered to said emitter, said thermionic converter converting said thermal energy into electric energy with an efficiency of at least 25% of an ideal Carnot cycle efficiency.
63. The method recited in claim 62, wherein the temperature of said emitter is in a range from about 20°C to about 400°C.
\
64. A method for refrigeration by using a solid state thermionic converter, comprising:

establishing externally an electric potential difference across a thermionic converter having a thermally insulated emitter having at least a region having a first donor concentration Nd*;

a collector;

a gap region between said emitter and said collector in electric and thermal communication with said emitter and said collector, said gap region comprising a semiconductor, said semiconductor comprising a second donor having a concentration Nd , said concentration of said second donor being selected such that the natural logarithm of the ratio Nd*/Nd is between a numerical value greater than 0 and about 7; and delivering a thermal load to said emitter such that said thermal load is cooled by heat flow as said externally established electric potential difference causes the flow of electric current between said emitter and said collector.
65. A method as recited in claim 64, wherein said natural logarithm of the ratio Nd*/Nd, is in a range between about 3 and bout 7.
66. A method as recited in claim 64, with said thermionic converter further having a compensated region disposed between said gap region and said collector, said compensated region being configured to suppress electric current from said collector to said gap region.
CA2401810A 2000-03-06 2001-03-06 Thermal diode for energy conversion Expired - Fee Related CA2401810C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (7)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US09/519,640 US6489704B1 (en) 1999-03-11 2000-03-06 Hybrid thermionic energy converter and method
US09/519,640 2000-03-06
US21356400P 2000-06-22 2000-06-22
US60/213,564 2000-06-22
US09/721,051 2000-11-22
US09/721,051 US6396191B1 (en) 1999-03-11 2000-11-22 Thermal diode for energy conversion
PCT/US2001/007046 WO2001069657A2 (en) 2000-03-06 2001-03-06 Thermal diode for energy conversion

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2401810A1 true CA2401810A1 (en) 2001-09-20
CA2401810C CA2401810C (en) 2010-05-11

Family

ID=27395886

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA2401810A Expired - Fee Related CA2401810C (en) 2000-03-06 2001-03-06 Thermal diode for energy conversion

Country Status (10)

Country Link
US (1) US6396191B1 (en)
EP (1) EP1282935B1 (en)
KR (1) KR100743506B1 (en)
CN (1) CN1428020B (en)
AU (2) AU2001268030B2 (en)
BR (1) BR0109001A (en)
CA (1) CA2401810C (en)
IL (1) IL151600A0 (en)
MX (1) MXPA02008675A (en)
WO (1) WO2001069657A2 (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102011102886A1 (en) 2011-05-31 2012-12-06 Hans-Josef Sterzel Generator, useful as converter for converting light or heat into electric energy, comprises intermetallic compounds as low work function materials, where the intermetallic compounds consist of electron donor and electron acceptor

Families Citing this family (76)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7109408B2 (en) * 1999-03-11 2006-09-19 Eneco, Inc. Solid state energy converter
CN1197177C (en) * 1999-03-11 2005-04-13 恩尼库股份有限公司 Hybrid thermionic energy converter and method
US7223914B2 (en) * 1999-05-04 2007-05-29 Neokismet Llc Pulsed electron jump generator
US6649823B2 (en) 1999-05-04 2003-11-18 Neokismet, L.L.C. Gas specie electron-jump chemical energy converter
US7371962B2 (en) 1999-05-04 2008-05-13 Neokismet, Llc Diode energy converter for chemical kinetic electron energy transfer
US6678305B1 (en) * 1999-05-04 2004-01-13 Noekismet, L.L.C. Surface catalyst infra red laser
US6620994B2 (en) 2000-10-04 2003-09-16 Leonardo Technologies, Inc. Thermoelectric generators
US6799902B2 (en) 2000-12-26 2004-10-05 Emcore Corporation Optoelectronic mounting structure
US6867377B2 (en) * 2000-12-26 2005-03-15 Emcore Corporation Apparatus and method of using flexible printed circuit board in optical transceiver device
US7021836B2 (en) * 2000-12-26 2006-04-04 Emcore Corporation Attenuator and conditioner
WO2002058219A2 (en) * 2001-01-17 2002-07-25 Neokismet, L.L.C. Electron-jump chemical energy converter
US6779347B2 (en) * 2001-05-21 2004-08-24 C.P. Baker Securities, Inc. Solid-state thermionic refrigeration
US7122735B2 (en) * 2001-06-29 2006-10-17 Neokismet, L.L.C. Quantum well energizing method and apparatus
US20040244383A1 (en) * 2002-07-31 2004-12-09 Richard Strnad High efficiency cooling device
US7084423B2 (en) 2002-08-12 2006-08-01 Acorn Technologies, Inc. Method for depinning the Fermi level of a semiconductor at an electrical junction and devices incorporating such junctions
US6833556B2 (en) 2002-08-12 2004-12-21 Acorn Technologies, Inc. Insulated gate field effect transistor having passivated schottky barriers to the channel
US6946596B2 (en) * 2002-09-13 2005-09-20 Kucherov Yan R Tunneling-effect energy converters
US6863453B2 (en) * 2003-01-28 2005-03-08 Emcore Corporation Method and apparatus for parallel optical transceiver module assembly
RU2336598C2 (en) * 2003-03-13 2008-10-20 Инеко, Инк. Solid state power converter (versions) and method of converting thermal power into electric power or electric power into frost (versions)
US7655858B2 (en) * 2003-04-03 2010-02-02 The University Of Vermont And State Agricultural College Thermoelectric device having an energy storage device located between its hot and cold sides
US20050074645A1 (en) * 2003-10-01 2005-04-07 Fattic Gerald Thomas Apparatus and method for solid oxide fuel cell and thermionic emission based power generation system
WO2005036662A1 (en) * 2003-10-07 2005-04-21 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Thermoelectric transducer, its manufacturing method, cooling apparatus using same, and method for controlling the cooling apparatus
US6854273B1 (en) 2003-10-20 2005-02-15 Delphi Technologies, Inc. Apparatus and method for steam engine and thermionic emission based power generation system
WO2005074049A2 (en) * 2004-01-16 2005-08-11 Massachusetts Institute Of Technology Potential amplified nonequilibrium thermal electric device (pantec)
JP2005346527A (en) * 2004-06-04 2005-12-15 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Circuit simulation method, device model, and simulation circuit
US7305839B2 (en) * 2004-06-30 2007-12-11 General Electric Company Thermal transfer device and system and method incorporating same
US20060068611A1 (en) * 2004-09-30 2006-03-30 Weaver Stanton E Jr Heat transfer device and system and method incorporating same
US20070215873A1 (en) * 2004-10-12 2007-09-20 Guy Silver Near natural breakdown device
US7260939B2 (en) * 2004-12-17 2007-08-28 General Electric Company Thermal transfer device and system and method incorporating same
US20060144619A1 (en) * 2005-01-06 2006-07-06 Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. Thermal management apparatus, systems, and methods
US7498507B2 (en) * 2005-03-16 2009-03-03 General Electric Company Device for solid state thermal transfer and power generation
US20070283702A1 (en) * 2005-05-06 2007-12-13 Strnad Richard J Dual heat to cooling converter
US8053947B2 (en) * 2005-12-14 2011-11-08 Kriisa Research, Inc. Device for converting thermal energy into electrical energy
US8159108B2 (en) * 2006-06-23 2012-04-17 Rasor Ned S Integrated thermoelectric/ thermionic energy converter
US7448782B2 (en) * 2006-12-06 2008-11-11 Illume, L.L.C. Thermoionic vehicle lamp assembly
WO2008088306A2 (en) * 2006-12-20 2008-07-24 Solid State Cooling, Inc. Thermoenergy devices and methods for manufacturing same
WO2008088393A2 (en) * 2006-12-20 2008-07-24 Solid State Cooling, Inc. Thermoenergy devices and methods for manufacturing same
US20160211435A9 (en) 2007-01-05 2016-07-21 Neokismet, Llc System and Method for Using Pre-Equilibrium Ballistic Charge Carrier Refraction
US7663053B2 (en) * 2007-01-05 2010-02-16 Neokismet, Llc System and method for using pre-equilibrium ballistic charge carrier refraction
US7696668B2 (en) * 2007-10-29 2010-04-13 Ut-Battelle, Llc Solid state transport-based thermoelectric converter
US7820527B2 (en) * 2008-02-20 2010-10-26 Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc. Cleave initiation using varying ion implant dose
US20090250097A1 (en) * 2008-04-07 2009-10-08 Eric Ting-Shan Pan Solar-To-Electricity Conversion System
US8026567B2 (en) * 2008-12-22 2011-09-27 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufactuirng Co., Ltd. Thermoelectric cooler for semiconductor devices with TSV
US8508370B1 (en) * 2009-02-27 2013-08-13 Sandia Corporation Synthetic thermoelectric materials comprising phononic crystals
FR2945268B1 (en) 2009-05-05 2013-05-17 Airbus France ELECTRIC GENERATOR ON A ROTATING PART OF A TURBOPROPULSEUR
JP5450022B2 (en) * 2009-12-11 2014-03-26 株式会社デンソー Thermoelectric generator
DE202010016971U1 (en) 2010-12-27 2011-03-03 Aiysh, Jehad Component for generating thermoelectric power
RU2456698C1 (en) * 2011-04-04 2012-07-20 Федеральное государственное бюджетное учреждение "Национальный исследовательский центр "Курчатовский институт" Alkali metal thermoelectric converter
RU2456699C1 (en) * 2011-04-04 2012-07-20 Федеральное государственное бюджетное учреждение "Национальный исследовательский центр "Курчатовский институт" Assembly of alkali metal thermoelectric converters
CN102506355B (en) * 2011-11-09 2014-07-09 深圳市华星光电技术有限公司 Backlight module beneficial to heat dissipation of light emitting diode (LED) light source and display equipment
GB2526950B (en) 2011-11-23 2016-04-20 Acorn Tech Inc Improving metal contacts to group IV semiconductors by inserting interfacial atomic monolayers
DE102012010302A1 (en) 2012-05-24 2013-11-28 Hans-Josef Sterzel Solid body arrangement for conversion of thermal power into electrical power to produce temperature difference for air conditioning of e.g. home, has emitter located at arrester hot side, and collector layer contacted by another arrester
US9190595B2 (en) 2012-07-20 2015-11-17 Qualcomm Incorporated Apparatus and method for harvesting energy in an electronic device
US9437892B2 (en) 2012-07-26 2016-09-06 Quswami, Inc. System and method for converting chemical energy into electrical energy using nano-engineered porous network materials
RU2550073C2 (en) * 2013-07-02 2015-05-10 Федеральное государственное бюджетное образовательное учреждение высшего профессионального образования "Юго-Западный государственный университет" (ЮЗ ГУ) Device for thermoelectric protection of pipeline from corrosion
TWI556547B (en) * 2014-09-16 2016-11-01 盧昭正 Diffusion potential diode application circuits
RU2581606C1 (en) * 2014-12-03 2016-04-20 Федеральное государственное бюджетное образовательное учреждение высшего профессионального образования "Уфимский государственный авиационный технический университет" Thermionic stator magnetic circuit
CN104659137B (en) * 2014-12-22 2017-02-22 电子科技大学 Full-solid photon enhanced thermionic emission device
RU2611596C1 (en) * 2015-10-02 2017-02-28 Российская Федерация, от имени которой выступает Государственная корпорация по атомной энергии "Росатом" Thermionic converter
US10483450B1 (en) 2015-11-28 2019-11-19 Cody Brian Wabiszewski Internal electric converter
DK3196951T3 (en) 2016-01-21 2019-01-21 Evonik Degussa Gmbh RATIONAL PROCEDURE FOR POWDER METAL SURGICAL MANUFACTURING THERMOELECTRIC COMPONENTS
JP6311133B2 (en) * 2016-06-13 2018-04-18 パナソニックＩｐマネジメント株式会社 Infrared sensor
US9620611B1 (en) 2016-06-17 2017-04-11 Acorn Technology, Inc. MIS contact structure with metal oxide conductor
EA029915B1 (en) 2016-08-26 2018-05-31 Общество с ограниченной ответственностью "Константа" Converter of ambient thermal energy to electric power
US10170627B2 (en) 2016-11-18 2019-01-01 Acorn Technologies, Inc. Nanowire transistor with source and drain induced by electrical contacts with negative schottky barrier height
CN106848048A (en) * 2016-12-24 2017-06-13 武汉科技大学 A kind of thermion converter and its thermoelectric conversion method
AU2018399640A1 (en) * 2018-01-05 2020-07-23 James Weifu Lee Isothermal electricity for energy renewal
CN113614876A (en) * 2018-11-06 2021-11-05 火花热离子学公司 System and method for thermionic energy conversion
DE102018220013A1 (en) 2018-11-22 2020-05-28 Evonik Operations Gmbh Process for the production of thermoelectric elements using printing technology
RU2707192C1 (en) * 2019-04-02 2019-11-25 Российская Федерация, от имени которой выступает ФОНД ПЕРСПЕКТИВНЫХ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЙ Thermionic converter for on-board electric power source
RU2703272C1 (en) * 2019-04-02 2019-10-16 Российская Федерация, от имени которой выступает ФОНД ПЕРСПЕКТИВНЫХ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЙ Thermionic transducer with passive cooling for on-board power source of high-speed aircraft with straight-flow air-jet engine
US11592336B2 (en) 2019-09-27 2023-02-28 The Procter & Gamble Company Systems and methods for thermal radiation detection
US11585697B2 (en) * 2019-09-27 2023-02-21 The Procter & Gamble Company Systems and methods for thermal radiation detection
US11496072B2 (en) * 2020-05-06 2022-11-08 Koucheng Wu Device and method for work function reduction and thermionic energy conversion
CN111681800A (en) * 2020-06-23 2020-09-18 中国原子能科学研究院 Double-layer insulating sleeve, manufacturing method thereof and thermionic energy converter
CN113312756B (en) * 2021-05-11 2022-12-16 华南理工大学 Method for synchronously determining boundary electric field and current density of diode

Family Cites Families (52)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3173032A (en) 1959-09-14 1965-03-09 Smith Corp A O Means for close placement of electrode plates in a thermionic converter
US3328611A (en) 1964-05-25 1967-06-27 Edwin D Davis Thermionic converter
US4040903A (en) 1964-07-21 1977-08-09 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Energy Research And Development Administration Thermionic energy converters
US3267608A (en) 1965-08-04 1966-08-23 Mattel Inc Walking toy
US3515908A (en) 1966-09-14 1970-06-02 French Caldwell Thermionic energy converter
US3579031A (en) * 1967-06-07 1971-05-18 Xerox Corp Zero arc drop thyratron
US3843896A (en) 1969-01-29 1974-10-22 Mc Donnell Douglas Corp Radioisotopic thermoinic converter
US3890161A (en) 1973-07-16 1975-06-17 Iii Charles M Brown Diode array
US3899696A (en) 1974-03-27 1975-08-12 Nasa Electric power generation system directly from laser power
US3983423A (en) 1975-01-09 1976-09-28 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Energy Research And Development Administration Thermionic converter
US4047093A (en) 1975-09-17 1977-09-06 Larry Levoy Direct thermal-electric conversion for geothermal energy recovery
US4188571A (en) 1976-09-08 1980-02-12 Brunson Raymond D Radiant energy to electrical power conversion system
US4151438A (en) 1977-08-17 1979-04-24 The United States Of America As Represented By United States Department Of Energy Distributed electrical leads for thermionic converter
US4771201A (en) 1978-08-10 1988-09-13 Intelsat Method and apparatus for thermionic energy conversion
US4281280A (en) 1978-12-18 1981-07-28 Richards John A Thermal electric converter
US4280074A (en) 1979-02-16 1981-07-21 Varian Associates, Inc. Collector for thermionic energy converter
US4266179A (en) 1979-02-27 1981-05-05 Hamm Jr James E Solar energy concentration system
US4298768A (en) 1979-03-13 1981-11-03 Israel Allan D Cesium vapor thermionic current generator
US4303845A (en) 1979-04-24 1981-12-01 Davis Edwin D Thermionic electric converter
US4323808A (en) 1979-04-24 1982-04-06 Davis Edwin D Laser excited thermionic electric converter
US4286275A (en) * 1980-02-04 1981-08-25 International Business Machines Corporation Semiconductor device
JPS56133867A (en) * 1980-03-21 1981-10-20 Semiconductor Res Found Thermoelectric emission transistor
US4346330A (en) 1980-04-14 1982-08-24 Thermo Electron Corporation Laser generated high electron density source
US4373142A (en) 1981-02-19 1983-02-08 The United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration Thermionic energy converters
US4368416A (en) 1981-02-19 1983-01-11 James Laboratories, Inc. Thermionic-thermoelectric generator system and apparatus
US4667126A (en) 1982-11-26 1987-05-19 Rasor Associates, Inc. Thermionic converter
US4528417A (en) 1984-02-15 1985-07-09 The United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration Thermionic-photovoltaic energy converter
US4649405A (en) * 1984-04-10 1987-03-10 Cornell Research Foundation, Inc. Electron ballistic injection and extraction for very high efficiency, high frequency transferred electron devices
US6022637A (en) * 1984-10-23 2000-02-08 Wilson; John T. R. High temperature battery
US4700099A (en) * 1986-12-01 1987-10-13 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force Stored energy thermionics modular power system
US4755350A (en) 1987-03-11 1988-07-05 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force Thermionic reactor module with thermal storage reservoir
US4927599A (en) 1989-07-06 1990-05-22 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy Thermionic converter emitter support arrangement
US5028835A (en) 1989-10-11 1991-07-02 Fitzpatrick Gary O Thermionic energy production
US5019530A (en) 1990-04-20 1991-05-28 International Business Machines Corporation Method of making metal-insulator-metal junction structures with adjustable barrier heights
US5327038A (en) 1991-05-09 1994-07-05 Rockwell International Corporation Walking expansion actuator
SE9102263L (en) 1991-07-31 1992-08-31 Leif Holmlid COLLECTOR DRIVES THERMOJONIC ENERGY CONVERTER
US5356484A (en) 1992-03-30 1994-10-18 Yater Joseph C Reversible thermoelectric converter
US5841219A (en) 1993-09-22 1998-11-24 University Of Utah Research Foundation Microminiature thermionic vacuum tube
US5637946A (en) 1993-10-28 1997-06-10 Lockheed Corporation Thermally energized electrical power source
US5541464A (en) 1994-03-30 1996-07-30 Johnson; Lonnie G. Thermionic generator
US5572042A (en) 1994-04-11 1996-11-05 National Semiconductor Corporation Integrated circuit vertical electronic grid device and method
US5492570A (en) 1994-07-05 1996-02-20 Thermacore, Inc. Hybrid thermal electric generator
US5459367A (en) 1994-12-07 1995-10-17 Davis; Edwin D. Collector element for thermionic electric converters
US5646474A (en) 1995-03-27 1997-07-08 Wayne State University Boron nitride cold cathode
US5722242A (en) 1995-12-15 1998-03-03 Borealis Technical Limited Method and apparatus for improved vacuum diode heat pump
US5981071A (en) 1996-05-20 1999-11-09 Borealis Technical Limited Doped diamond for vacuum diode heat pumps and vacuum diode thermionic generators
US5955772A (en) 1996-12-17 1999-09-21 The Regents Of The University Of California Heterostructure thermionic coolers
US5994638A (en) 1996-12-19 1999-11-30 Borealis Technical Limited Method and apparatus for thermionic generator
US5780954A (en) 1997-01-22 1998-07-14 Davis; Edwin D. Thermionic electric converters
US5973259A (en) 1997-05-12 1999-10-26 Borealis Tech Ltd Method and apparatus for photoelectric generation of electricity
US6020671A (en) 1998-07-28 2000-02-01 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy In-line thermoelectric module
US6037697A (en) 1999-01-18 2000-03-14 General Atomics Thermionic converter and method of making same

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102011102886A1 (en) 2011-05-31 2012-12-06 Hans-Josef Sterzel Generator, useful as converter for converting light or heat into electric energy, comprises intermetallic compounds as low work function materials, where the intermetallic compounds consist of electron donor and electron acceptor

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP1282935A2 (en) 2003-02-12
WO2001069657A8 (en) 2002-07-04
KR20030047875A (en) 2003-06-18
CN1428020A (en) 2003-07-02
IL151600A0 (en) 2003-04-10
CN1428020B (en) 2012-05-09
EP1282935A4 (en) 2008-01-09
BR0109001A (en) 2003-04-29
WO2001069657A3 (en) 2002-04-04
MXPA02008675A (en) 2003-04-14
KR100743506B1 (en) 2007-07-27
AU2001268030B2 (en) 2004-09-02
EP1282935B1 (en) 2014-10-29
CA2401810C (en) 2010-05-11
US6396191B1 (en) 2002-05-28
WO2001069657A2 (en) 2001-09-20
AU6803001A (en) 2001-09-24

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
CA2401810A1 (en) Thermal diode for energy conversion
RU2002126569A (en) THERMOELECTRIC CONVERTER AND METHOD OF TRANSFER OF HEAT ENERGY
RU2419919C2 (en) Thermoelectric element
US20030042497A1 (en) Thermoelectric element
WO2007081483A2 (en) Thermoelectric tunnelling device
US8334450B2 (en) Seebeck solar cell
IL170684A (en) Solid state energy converter
Garnier et al. Organic semiconducting polymers as molecular material for electronic devices
JP2006521698A5 (en)
JP4071833B2 (en) Diamond semiconductor device
US20130192654A1 (en) Thermoelectric module comprising thermoelectric element doped with nanoparticles and manufacturing method of the same
Hagelstein et al. Enhanced figure of merit in thermal to electrical energy conversion using diode structures
Hutchby High− efficiency graded band− gap AlxGa1− xAs− GaAs solar cell
Traoré et al. Reverse‐recovery of diamond p‐i‐n diodes
Godfrey et al. High‐temperature lifetesting of Al/SiOx/p‐Si contacts for MIS solar cells
Lin et al. Electrical conduction mechanisms in the temperature-dependent current-voltage characteristics of poly (3-hexylthiophene)/n-type Si devices
Kucherov et al. Energy conversion using diode-like structures
Hagelstein et al. Enhancement of thermal to electrical energy conversion with thermal diodes
RU2010380C1 (en) Microelectron vacuum device
KR100971739B1 (en) Method For Manufacturing Solar Cell
Camporese et al. The effect of metal work function on current conduction in metal‐insulator‐semiconductor tunnel junctions
Garbuzov et al. A novel approach for the improvement of open circuit voltage and fill factor of InGaAsSb/GaSb thermophotovoltaic cells
Tian et al. Enhanced Electron Transport at the n+ Poly-Si/LiF/Al Interface in n-TOPCon Silicon Solar Cells
Iyer et al. PEDOT: PSS based solar cells with radical driven benzoquinone passivation
US20220029081A1 (en) Semiconductor thermoelectric generator

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
EEER Examination request
MKLA Lapsed

Effective date: 20200306