Thermal transfer device and system and method incorporating same
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
F25B-021/00
H01L-035/30
H01L-035/28
H01L-029/36
H01L-029/02
H01L-029/74
H01L-029/66
H01J-001/00
출원번호
US-0015260
(2004-12-17)
등록번호
US-7260939
(2007-08-28)
발명자
/ 주소
Weaver, Jr.,Stanton Earl
출원인 / 주소
General Electric Company
대리인 / 주소
Fletcher Yoder
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
4인용 특허 :
38
초록▼
A method of manufacturing a thermal transfer device including providing first and second thermally conductive substrates that are substantially atomically flat, providing a patterned electrical barrier having a plurality of closed shapes on the first thermally conductive substrate and providing a na
A method of manufacturing a thermal transfer device including providing first and second thermally conductive substrates that are substantially atomically flat, providing a patterned electrical barrier having a plurality of closed shapes on the first thermally conductive substrate and providing a nanotube catalyst material on the first thermally conductive substrate in a nanotube growth area oriented within each of the plurality of closed shapes of the patterned electrical barrier. The method also includes orienting the second thermally conductive substrate opposite the first thermally conductive substrate such that the patterned electrical barrier is disposed between the first and second thermally conductive substrates and providing a precursor gas proximate the nanotube catalyst material to facilitate growth of nanotubes in the nanotube growth areas from the first thermally conductive substrate toward, and limited by, the second thermally conductive substrate. In this thermal transfer device, introduction of current flow between the first and second thermally conductive substrates enables heat transfer between the first and second thermally conductive substrates via a flow of electrons between the first and second thermally conductive substrates.
대표청구항▼
The invention claimed is: 1. A method of manufacturing a thermal transfer device, comprising: providing first and second thermally conductive substrates that are substantially atomically flat; providing a patterned electrical barrier having a plurality of closed shapes on the first thermally conduc
The invention claimed is: 1. A method of manufacturing a thermal transfer device, comprising: providing first and second thermally conductive substrates that are substantially atomically flat; providing a patterned electrical barrier having a plurality of closed shapes on the first thermally conductive substrate; providing a nanotube catalyst material on the first thermally conductive substrate in a nanotube growth area oriented within each of the plurality of closed shapes of the patterned electrical barrier; orienting the second thermally conductive substrate opposite the first thermally conductive substrate such that the patterned electrical barrier is disposed between the first and second thermally conductive substrates; and providing a precursor gas proximate the nanotube catalyst material to facilitate growth of nanotubes in the nanotube growth areas from the first thermally conductive substrate toward, and limited by, the second thermally conductive substrate, wherein introduction of current flow between the first and second thermally conductive substrates enables heat transfer between the first and second thermally conductive substrates via a flow of electrons between the first and second thermally conductive substrates. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein height of nanotubes is controlled by controlling a growth rate and time of the growth of the nanotubes to achieve a desired thermotunneling gap. 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a plurality of vent holes in the second thermally conductive substrate in positions that align with each nanotube growth area oriented within each of the plurality of closed shapes of the patterned electrical barrier on the first thermally conductive substrate. 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising sealing the plurality of vent holes in a vacuum or an inert gas environment. 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising bonding, in a vacuum environment, the first and second thermally conductive substrates in a configuration in which the first and second thermally conductive substrates are positioned opposite from one another. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the patterned electrical barrier comprises growing or depositing an electrical barrier layer on the first thermally conductive substrate, through plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), or sputtering, or thermal oxidation, or any combination thereof. 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising disposing a low work function material on a surface of each of the nanotubes for reducing the work function of the nanotubes. 8. A method of manufacturing a thermal transfer device, comprising: providing first and second thermally conductive substrates positioned opposite one another about nanotubes oriented between a patterned electrical barrier, wherein a grown dimension of the nanotubes is limited by space between the first and second thermally conductive substrates, wherein introduction of current flow between the first and second thermally conductive substrates enables heat transfer between the first and second thermally conductive substrates via a flow of electrons between the first and second thermally conductive substrates. 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising extracting a unit having opposite sections of the first and second thermally conductive substrates, the unit having a portion of the patterned electrical barrier disposed about the nanotubes, the portion defining a thermotunneling gap between the first and second thermally conductive substrates. 10. The method of claim 8, further comprising disposing a low work function material on a surface of each of the nanotubes for reducing the work function of the nanotubes. 11. A thermal transfer device, comprising: first and second thermally conductive substrates that are positioned opposite from one another, wherein the first and second thermally conductive substrates are each substantially atomically flat; a patterned electrical barrier having a plurality of closed shapes disposed on the first thermally conductive substrate; and a plurality of nanotubes grown in a nanotube growth area oriented within each of the plurality of closed shapes of the patterned electrical barrier, wherein a grown dimension of the nanotubes is limited by growth areas from the first thermally conductive substrate toward, and limited by, the second thermally conductive substrate, wherein a thermotunneling gap is defined as a distance between a tip of the nanotubes and the second thermally conductive substrate and wherein introduction of current flow between the first and second thermally conductive substrates enables heat transfer between the first and second thermally conductive substrates via a flow of electrons across the thermotunneling gap between the first and second thermally conductive substrates. 12. The device of claim 11, wherein the first or second thermally conductive substrate comprises a doped n-type silicon wafer. 13. The device of claim 11, wherein the patterned electrical barrier comprises an oxide, or a nitride, or a silica-based aerogel, or a polymer, or any combination thereof. 14. The device of claim 11, further comprising a nanotube catalyst material disposed on the first thermally conductive substrate in the nanotube growth area. 15. The device of claim 14, further comprising a precursor gas proximate the nanotube catalyst material to facilitate the growth of nanotubes in the nanotube growth areas. 16. The device of claim 11, wherein the second thermally conductive substrate comprises a plurality of vent holes, each aligned at least partially within one of the nanotube growth areas, the plurality of vent holes being sealed after growth of the plurality of nanotubes. 17. The device of claim 11, wherein the thermal transfer device is configured to generate power by maintaining a temperature gradient between the first and second thermally conductive substrates. 18. The device of claim 11, wherein the thermal transfer device is configured to provide cooling for a refrigeration system or an air conditioning system. 19. The device of claim 11, wherein the thermal transfer device is configured for thermal energy conversion. 20. The device of claim 11, wherein the thermal transfer device is configured to provide cooling for a microelectronic system. 21. A method of operation of a thermal transfer device, comprising: passing hot electrons across a thermotunneling gap between first and second thermally conductive substrates having nanotubes oriented between a patterned electrical barrier on the first or second thermally conductive substrate, wherein the thermotunneling gap is defined as a distance between a tip of the nanotubes and the second thermally conductive substrate. 22. A thermal transfer device, comprising: first and second thermally conductive substrates that are positioned opposite from one another, wherein the first and second thermally conductive substrates are each substantially atomically flat; a patterned electrical barrier disposed on the first thermally conductive substrate; and a plurality of nanotubes grown in a nanotube growth area of the patterned electrical barrier, wherein a grown dimension of the nanotubes is limited by growth areas from the first thermally conductive substrate toward, and limited by, the second thermally conductive substrate and wherein a thermotunneling gap is defined as a distance between a tip of the nanotubes and the second thermally conductive substrate.
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