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AssigneeBorealis Technical Limited
InventorsAvto Tavkhelidze, Leri Tsakadze, Zaza Taliashvili, Larissa Jangidze, Rodney Thomas Cox
Estimating the term…
The use of liquid metal contacts for devices based on thermotunneling has been investigated. Electric and thermal characteristics of low wetting contact Hg/Si, and high wetting contacts Hg/Cu were determined and compared. Tunneling I-V characteristics for Hg/Si were obtained, while for Hg/Cu, I-V characteristics were ohmic. The tunneling I-V characteristic is explained by the presence of a nanogap between the contact materials. Heat conductance of high wetting and low wetting contacts were compared, using calorimeter measurements. Heat conductance of high wetting contact was 3-4 times more than of low wetting contact. Both electric and thermal characteristics of liquid metal contact indicated that it could be used for thermotunneling devices. To reduce the work function and make liquid metal more suitable for room temperature cooling, Cs was dissolved in liquid Hg. Work function as low as 2.6 eV was obtained.
A diode device comprising:
A thermotunnel device including a tunnel junction with high electron tunneling probability and low thermal conductivity comprising a low work function liquid metal interposed between a first electrically conductive electrode surface non-wettable by said liquid metal and a second electrically conductive electrode surface wettable by said liquid metal, wherein said liquid metal conforms to a shape of said first non-wettable electrode surface without directly thermally and electrically contacting said first non-wettable electrode surface, thereby forming a gap, and said liquid metal conforms to a shape of said second wettable electrode surface while directly thermally and electrically contacting said second wettable electrode surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.