公开(公告)号：EP1611617A4

公开(公告)日：2008-10-29

申请号：EP04757469

申请日：2004-03-15

申请人： ENECO INC

发明人： KUCHEROV YAN R ,  HAGELSTEIN PETER L

IPC分类号： H01L35/00 ,  H01L20060101 ,  H01L31/00

CPC分类号： H01L35/00

摘要： A solid-state energy converter with a semiconductor or semiconductor-metal implementation is provided for conversion of thermal energy to electric energy, or electric energy to refrigeration. In n-type heat-to-electricity embodiments, a highly doped n emitter region made of a metal or semiconductor injects carriers into an n-type gap region. A p-type layer is positioned between the emitter region and gap region, allowing for discontinuity of corresponding Fermi-levels and forming a potential barrier to sort electrons by energy. Additional p-type layers can optionally be formed on the collector side of the converter. One type of these layers with higher carrier concentration (p ) serves as a blocking layer at the cold side of the converter, and another layer (p ) with carrier concentration close to the gap reduces a thermoelectric back flow component. Ohmic contacts on both sides of the device close the electrical circuit through an external load to convert heat to electricity. In the case of a refrigerator, the external load is substituted by an external power supply.

公开(公告)号：EP1282935A4

公开(公告)日：2008-01-09

申请号：EP01945922

申请日：2001-03-06

申请人： ENECO INC

发明人： HAGELSTEIN PETER L ,  KUCHEROV YAN R

IPC分类号： H01L35/32 ,  H01J45/00 ,  H01L29/86 ,  H01L35/00 ,  H01L35/16 ,  H01L35/18 ,  H01L35/20 ,  H01L35/30 ,  H02N3/00

CPC分类号： H01L35/30 ,  H01J45/00 ,  H01L29/86 ,  H01L35/00 ,  H02N3/00

摘要： Solid state thermionic energy converter semiconductor diode implementation and method for conversion of thermal energy to electric energy, and electric energy to refrigeration. In embodiments of this invention a highly doped n region (14) can serve as an emitter region, from which carriers can be injected into a gap region. The gap region (16) can be p-type, intrinsic, or moderately doped n-type (14). A hot ohmic contact (12) is connected to the n-type region. A cold ohmic contact (20) serves as a collector and is connected to the other side of the gap region. The cold ohmic contact has a recombination region formed between the cold ohmic contact and the gap region and a blocking compensation layer that reduces the thermoelectric back flow component. The heated emitter relative to the collector generates an emf which drives current through a series load. The inventive principle works for hole conductivity, as well as for electrons.

公开(公告)号：EP1547234A4

公开(公告)日：2008-10-22

申请号：EP03796331

申请日：2003-09-12

申请人： ENECO INC

发明人： KUCHEROV YAN R ,  HAGELSTEIN PETER L

IPC分类号： H01L29/06 ,  H01J45/00 ,  H01L29/66 ,  H01L31/00 ,  H01L35/00 ,  H01L37/00 ,  H02M20060101 ,  H02N1/00 ,  H02N2/00 ,  H02N3/00 ,  H02N10/00

CPC分类号： H01L35/00 ,  H01J45/00

摘要： Tunneling-effect converters of thermal energy to electricity with an emitter and a collector separated from each by a distance that is comparable to atomic dimensions and where tunneling effect plays an important role in the charge movement from the emitter to the collector across the gap separating such emitter and collector. At least one of the emitter and collector structures includes a flexible structure. Tunneling-effect converters include devices that convert thermal energy to electrical energy and devices that provide refrigeration when electric power is supplied to such devices.