Devices and systems incorporating energy harvesting components/devices as autonomous energy sources and as energy supplementation, and methods for producing devices and systems incorporating energy harvesting components/devices

An electrically-powered device, comprising:

• at least one electrically-energized device component;
• and
• an energy harvesting component configured to provide an electrical energy source for the at least one electrically-energized device component, the energy harvesting component comprising at least one energy harvesting element comprising:
• a first conductor layer formed of a conductive material and having a first surface and a second surface;
• a low work function layer formed on the first surface of the first conductor layer;
• a second conductor layer formed of a conductive material and having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface of the second conductor layer (1) facing the low work function layer, (2) forming a gap between the low work surface layer and the first surface of the second conductor layer, the gap being in a range of 100 nm or less in thickness in a direction orthogonal to the first surface of the second conductor layer, and (3) having a work function substantially higher than a work function of the low work function layer;
• a dielectric layer interposed in the gap, wherein the dielectric layer has a thickness in a range of 20 nm to 60 nm, and is sandwiched between the low work function layer and the first surface of the second conductor layer;
• and
• a structure of the energy harvesting element causing the energy harvesting element to generate electric potential between the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer at any temperature above absolute zero.