초록 ▼

A thermotunneling converter is disclosed comprising a pair of electrodes having inner surfaces substantially facing one another, and a spacer or plurality of spacers positioned between the two electrodes, having a height substantially equal to the distance between the electrodes, and having a total

A thermotunneling converter is disclosed comprising a pair of electrodes having inner surfaces substantially facing one another, and a spacer or plurality of spacers positioned between the two electrodes, having a height substantially equal to the distance between the electrodes, and having a total cross-sectional area that is less than the cross-sectional area of either of the electrodes. In a preferred embodiment, a vacuum is introduced, and in a particularly preferred embodiment, gold that has been exposed to cesium vapor is used as one or both of the electrodes. In a further embodiment, the spacer is made of small particles disposed between the electrodes. In a yet further embodiment, a sandwich is made containing the electrodes with an unoxidized spacer. The sandwich is separated and the spacer is oxidized, which makes it grow to a required height whilst giving it insulatory properties, to allow for tunneling between the electrodes.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A thermotunneling converter comprisinga) a plurality of electrodes having surfaces substantially facing one another; b) a respective spacer or plurality of spacers disposed between and in contact with said electrodes to form gaps between said electrodes, where said gaps are sufficiently small to

1. A thermotunneling converter comprisinga) a plurality of electrodes having surfaces substantially facing one another; b) a respective spacer or plurality of spacers disposed between and in contact with said electrodes to form gaps between said electrodes, where said gaps are sufficiently small to permit tunneling of electrons between said electrodes, and where the surface area of the spacer or plurality of spacers in contact with said surfaces is less than the surface area of the said surfaces; wherein the protrusions of said surfaces substantially facing one another that do not have a spacer between them are characterized in that: indentations on the inner surface of either electrode face protrusions in the facing surface of the other electrode. 2. The thermotunneling converter of claim 1 wherein the surface area of the spacer or plurality of spacers is approximately a quarter of the surface area of the electrodes.3. The thermotunneling converter of claim 1 wherein said spacer or spacers comprise material that is a thermal insulator.4. The thermotunneling converter of claim 1 wherein said spacer or spacers comprise material that is an electrical insulator.5. The thermotunneling converter of claim 1 wherein the gaps are evacuated.6. The thermotunneling converter of claim 1 wherein the gaps are filled with an inert gas.7. The thermotunneling converter of claim 1 wherein said spacer or plurality of spacers comprises a plurality of nanotubes, nanowires or buckyballs.8. The thermotunneling converter of claim 7 wherein one of the electrodes is a thin sheet of metal having surface indentations of appropriate sizing of maintaining the portions of said nanotubes, nanowires or buckyballs.9. The thermotunneling converter of claim 1 wherein said spacer or plurality of spacers comprises an oxide.10. The thermotunneling converter of claim 1 wherein said spacer or plurality of spacers comprise Al2O3.11. The thermotunneling converter of claim 1 wherein one or more of said plurality of electrodes comprises a silicon substrate.12. The thermotunneling converter of claim 1 wherein one or more of said plurality of electrodes comprises a thin layer of silver and a thicker layer of copper.13. The thermotunneling converter of claim 1 wherein said spacer or plurality of spacers have the form selected from the group consisting of: hexagonal arrays, strips, circles, rings, lattices, pillars, and bottom heavy pillars.14. The thermotunneling converter of claim 1 wherein said plurality of electrodes is 100 or fewer.15. The thermotunneling converter of claim 1 wherein said plurality of electrodes is 10 or fewer.16. The thermotunneling converter of claim 1 wherein said plurality of electrodes is 2.17. A method for making thermotunneling converter comprising a plurality of electrodes having surfaces substantially facing one another and a respective spacer or plurality of spacers disposed between and in contact with said electrodes to form gaps between said electrodes, where said gaps are substantially small to permit tunneling of electrons between said electrodes, and where the surface area of the spacer or plurality of spacers in contact with said surface is less than the surface area of the said surfaces comprisinga) providing a first electrode; b) applying a spacer material to selected areas of the first electrode; c) filling the non-selected areas with removable matter; d) depositing upon the spacer material and the removable matter, a second electrode; e) removing the removable matter; f) applying a spacer material or selected areas of a second electrode; g) filling the non-selected areas with removable matter; h) depositing upon the spacer material and the removable matter, a third electrode; i) repeating steps f), g) and h) with reference to subsequent electrodes, as many times as desired. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein said step of applying a spacer material to selected areas thereof comprises applying said spacer material to less than half of the surface of the first electrode.19. The method claim 17 wherein said step of applying a spacer material to selected areas thereof comprising depositing spacer material in the form selected from the group consisting of: islands, strips, hexagons, an X, pillars, circles, rings and lattices.20. The method claim 17 wherein said step of applying a spacer material comprises the steps of: depositing growable spacer material upon the first electrode and applying an appropriate medium for the growth of the spacer material in situ.21. The method claim 17 wherein the removable matter comprises soluble matter, and wherein said step of removing the removable matter comprises: introducing a solvent to dissolve the soluble matter, and releasing the solute from between the electrodes.22. The method claim 21 wherein the step of releasing the solute is selected from the group consisting of: draining away the solute, pumping away the solute, evaporating away the solute, and draining the solute from between the electrodes whilst leaving it within a housing surrounding the electrodes.23. The method claim 17 wherein the removable matter comprises evaporable matter and wherein said step of removing the removable matter comprises the step of evaporating the evaporable matter.24. The method of claim 17 wherein said step e) of removing the removable matter being done only after step i) of repeating steps f), g) and h) as many times as desired.25. The method claim 17 wherein the step of filling the non-selected areas with removable matter is done by applying the removable matter with constant depth whereby the structure of the surface of the first electrode will be replicated in the surface of the removable matter, and the inverse of said structure will be replicated in the contacting surface of the second electrode at least in the regions not separated by spacer material.26. The method claim 17 further comprising the step of evacuating the regions unoccupied by spacer material, after the removal of the removable matter therefrom.27. The method claim 17 further comprising the step of filling the regions unoccupied by spacer material with an inert gas subsequent to the removal of the removable matter therefrom.28. The method claim 17 wherein the first electrode comprises gold, and further including the step of filling the regions unoccupied by spacer material with cesium.29. The method claim 17 wherein the step of filling the non-selected areas with removable matter is done by applying the removable matter with constant depth whereby the structure of the surface of the first electrode will be replicated in the surface of the removable matter filling, and the inverse of said structure will be replicated in the contacting surface of the second electrode at least in the regions not separated by spacer material.30. The method claim 17 wherein said step c) of filling the non-selected areas with removable matter, is done before step b) of applying a spacer material to selected areas of the first electrode.31. The method claim 30 wherein step c) is done by a method selected from the group consisting of: application through a mask of removable material to non-selected areas and subsequent growth of removable material, selective deposition of removable material, selective deposition and subsequent growth of the removable material, and protectively coating the first electrode surface and then beaming away a section or sections of the protective coating and growing the removable material in the beamed away section or sections.32. The method claim 17 wherein said step d) of depositing upon the spacer material and the removable matter, a second electrode, comprises laying a thin film upon the spacer material and removable matter.33. The method claim 17 wherein said step of repeating steps f), g) and h) is performed less than 100 times.34. The method claim 17 wherein said step of repeating steps f), g) and h) is performed less than 10 times.35. The method claim 17 wherein said step of repeating steps f), g) and h) is omitted from said method.36. A method of making a thermoelectric converter of claim 1 comprising the steps of:a) preparing a first electrode; b) depositing a plurality of articles having a small cross-sectional area upon the first electrode; c) laying a second electrode onto the plurality of articles; d) depositing a further plurality of articles having a small cross-sectional area upon the second electrode; e) laying a third electrode onto the plurality of articles deposited in step d); and f) repeating steps d) and e) until the desired number of layers has been achieved. 37. The method of claim 36 further comprising the step of positioning the plurality of small articles in a desired manner upon said first electrode.38. The method of claim 37 wherein said step of positioning said small articles comprises using electromagnetic forces to position them.39. The method of claim 36 further comprising the step of shaping one or both of the electrodes to hold the plurality of articles in position.40. The method of claim 36 wherein said plurality of articles comprise nanotubes, nanowires or buckyballs and further comprising the step of using electromagnetic forces to position the articles into desired positions.41. The method of claim 36 wherein said plurality of articles have low thermal conductivity.42. The method of claim 36 wherein said plurality of articles have low electrical conductivity and further including the step of connecting the electrodes to a circuit.43. The method claim 36 wherein said step of repeating steps d) and e) is performed less than 100 times.44. The method claim 36 wherein said step of repeating steps d) and e) is performed less than 10 times.45. The method claim 36 wherein said step of repeating steps d) and e) is omitted from said method.46. A method for making the thermotunneling converter comprising a plurality of electrodes having surfaces substantially facing one another and a respective spacer or plurality of spacers disposed between and in contact with said electrodes to form gaps between said electrodes, where said gaps are sufficiently small to permit tunneling of electrons between said electrodes, and where the surface area of the spacer or plurality of spacers in contact with said surfaces is less than the surface area of the said surfaces comprisinga) preparing a first electrode; b) depositing a substance to selected areas thereupon, wherein the substance is of the type that will grow to a greater height when exposed to a medium; c) adding a second electrode; d) positioning the second electrode at a distance from the first electrode to allow for the growth of the substance; e) providing the medium for growth of the substance; f) repositioning as necessary the second electrode relative to the first electrode. 47. The method of claim 46 wherein the substance is Al2O3 and wherein said step of providing a medium for the growth of the substance comprising introducing oxygen to the area surrounding the substance.48. The method of claim 47 wherein said step of introducing oxygen is precisely done to control the amount of growth of the substance.49. The method of claim 46 wherein the surfaces of the electrodes that contact the substance do not oxidize substantially fast whilst the substance is made of a material that oxidizes substantially fast, and wherein said step of providing a medium for growth of the substance comprising the step of oxidizing the substance.50. The method of claim 46 wherein the surfaces of the first electrode is made of silicon and the substance is aluminum, and wherein said step of providing a medium for growth of the substance comprising the step of oxidizing the aluminum.51. The method of claim 50 wherein the step of oxidizing the aluminum is done with regard to the desired amount of growth of the aluminum.52. The method of claim 46 wherein the step of adding a second electrode is done by depositing the second electrode onto the layers of first electrode and the substance, and subsequently separating the second electrode from the first electrode.