# US 2018/0323359 A1 · Mechanical and thermal electric generators > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0323359 A1 - Document ID: US20180323359A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/574,065 - Filed: 2016-05-26 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Earliest claimed: 2015-05-26 - Assignees: George Mason University - Applicants: George Mason University - Inventors: Qiliang Li; Sheng Yu; Abbas Arab - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180323359A1 ## CPC - H10N 10/852: comprising tellurium, selenium or sulfur - H02N 2/18: producing electrical output from mechanical input, e.g. generators (for measurement devices G01) - H10F 77/1437: {Quantum wires or nanorods} - H10N 10/00: Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects (integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10N19/00) - H10N 10/01: Manufacture or treatment - H10N 10/80: Constructional details - H10N 30/30: with mechanical input and electrical output, e.g. functioning as generators or sensors - H10N 30/85: Piezoelectric or electrostrictive active materials - B82Y 30/00: Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites - H10P 14/3436: {being chalcogenide semiconductor materials not being oxides, e.g. ternary compounds} - H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H02N: ELECTRIC MACHINES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract Devices for generating electrical energy along with methods of fabrication and methods of use are disclosed. An example device can comprise one or more layers of a transition metal dichalcogenide material. An example device can comprise a mechano-electric generator. Another example device can comprise a thermoelectric generator. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device comprising: a first portion of a layer comprising a p-type transition metal dichalcogenide material, the first portion having a first side and a second side opposite the first side; a second portion of the layer comprising a n-type transition metal dichalcogenide material, the second portion having a third side and a fourth side opposite the third side, wherein the first side of the first portion and the third side of the second portion form a PN junction; a first electrode of the layer adjacent to the second side of the first portion of the layer; and a second electrode of the layer adjacent to the fourth side of the second portion of the layer, wherein the layer is configured to provide electrical energy via one or more of the first electrode or the second electrode in response to receiving mechanical energy at the layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the layer comprises a two-dimensional monolayer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the p-type transition metal dichalcogenide material and the n-type transition metal dichalcogenide material comprises molybdenum disulfide. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the p-type transition metal dichalcogenide material is doped with phosphorus and wherein then-type transition metal dichalcogenide material is doped with chlorine. ### Claim 5 (canceled) ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the PN junction comprises a heterojunction and wherein the heterojunction comprises tungsten diselenide and molybdenum disulfide. ### Claim 7 (canceled) ### Claim 8 (canceled) ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the mechanical stress is at least along a length of the layer. ### Claim 10 A device comprising: a first nanostructure comprising a n-type transition metal dichalcogenide material; a second nanostructure comprising a p-type transition metal dichalcogenide material; an electrical interconnect coupling the first nanostructure to the second nanostructure; a first electrode coupled to the first nanostructure; and a second electrode coupled to the second nanostructure, wherein the first nanostructure and the second nanostructure are together configured to provide electrical energy via one or more of the first electrode or the second electrode in response to receiving thermal energy at one or more of the first nanostructure and the second nanostructure. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The device of claim 10, wherein the first nanostructure comprises a first nanoribbon and the second nanostructure comprises a second nanoribbon. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11, wherein one or more of the first nanoribbon or the second nanoribbon have atoms arranged in an armchair pattern or a zigzag pattern. ### Claim 13 (canceled) ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The device of claim 10, wherein the n-type transition metal dichalcogenide material has fewer layers than the p-type transition metal dichalcogenide material. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The device of claim 10, wherein the n-type transition metal dichalcogenide material is a monolayer material and wherein the p-type transition metal dichalcogenide material is a multilayer material. ### Claim 16 (canceled) ### Claim 17 (canceled) ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The device of claim 10, wherein the p-type transition metal dichalcogenide material and the n-type transition metal dichalcogenide material both comprise molybdenum disulfide. ### Claim 19 (depends on 10) The device of claim 10, wherein the first nanostructure, the second nanostructure, and the electrical interconnect are arranged as a cell in an array of thermoelectric generating cells of a thermocouple. ### Claim 20 (depends on 10) The device of claim 10, wherein the first nanostructure is disposed thermally in parallel to the second nanostructure or electrically in series with the second nanostructure. ### Claim 21 (canceled) ### Claim 22 A method comprising: forming a first transition metal dichalcogenide material layer; forming a first insulating layer on top of the first transition metal dichalcogenide material layer; forming a second transition metal dichalcogenide material layer on top of the second insulating layer, wherein the first transition metal dichalcogenide material layer, the second transition metal dichalcogenide material layer, the first insulating layer, and the second insulating layer are formed as part of a wafer; dividing the wafer into a plurality of subsections; and assembling the plurality of subsections of the wafer into an array of components of a circuit. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the first transition metal dichalcogenide material layer comprises a p-type transition metal dichalcogenide material layer and wherein the second transition metal dichalcogenide material layer comprises an-type transition metal dichalcogenide material layer. ### Claim 24 (canceled) ### Claim 25 (canceled) ### Claim 26 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the first transition metal dichalcogenide material layer comprises molybdenum disulfide and wherein the second transition metal dichalcogenide material layer comprises molybdenum disulfide. ### Claim 27 (canceled) ### Claim 28 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein forming the first transition metal dichalcogenide material layer comprises forming the first transition metal dichalcogenide material layer on a second insulating layer. ### Claim 29 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein assembling the plurality of subsections of the wafer into an array of components of the circuit comprises assembling the plurality of subsections as a thin film. ### Claim 30 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the array of components of the circuit comprise an array of thermoelectric generators configured to supply electrical current to the circuit in response to receiving thermal energy.