Thermionic/thermotunneling thermo-electrical converter
AssigneeBorealis Technical Limited
InventorsHans Juergen Walitzki, Isaiah Watas Cox
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Abstract
A thermionic or thermotunneling converter consisting of two electrodes maintained at a desired distance from one another by means of spacers in which the electrodes comprise silicon coated with a hard material, or comprise a ceramic or other refractory material. The spacers are formed by oxidizing one electrode, protecting certain oxidized areas and removing the remainder of the oxidized layer. The protected oxidized areas remain as spacers. These spacers have the effect of maintaining the electrodes at a desired distance without the need for active elements, thus greatly reducing costs.
Claims33
A thermoelectric converter comprising:
- a) a first wafer carrying a first array comprising a plurality of electrodes, said first array disposed horizontally;
- b) a second wafer carrying a second array comprising a plurality of electrodes having surfaces substantially facing said electrodes of said first array;
- c) a respective spacer or plurality of spacers disposed between said arrays to allow gaps of 10-15 nanometers between said electrodes, wherein the surface area of the spacer or plurality of spacers in direct contact with said surfaces is less than the surface area of said surfaces, and wherein said spacers comprise oxidized silicon.
A method for building a thermoelectric converter comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a first wafer carrying a first array comprising a plurality of electrodes and disposing said first array horizontally;
- b) providing a second wafer carrying a second array comprising a plurality of electrodes having surfaces substantially facing said electrodes of said first array;
- c) forming a respective spacer or plurality of spacers disposed between said first and second arrays to create gaps of 10-15 nanometers between said electrodes by oxidizing said electrodes, protecting selected areas of said oxidized electrodes, and removing areas of said oxidized electrodes which have not been protected, whereby said protected areas remain as protrusions comprising said spacers, wherein the selected protected areas represent a minority of said oxidized electrodes and the surface area of the spacer or plurality of spacers in direct contact with said electrode surfaces is less than the surface area of said electrode surfaces;
- and
- d) connecting said electrodes of said first array to a said electrodes of said second array, whereby said electrodes are positioned substantially facing each other, with a gap of 10-15 nanometers between them maintained by said protrusions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.