High-efficiency heterostructure thermionic coolers
US6403874B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 17, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jun 11, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 17, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10D62/824
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A heterostructure thermionic cooler and a method for making thermionic coolers, employing a barrier layer of varying conduction bandedge for n-type material, or varying valence bandedge for p-type material, that is placed between two layers of material. The barrier layer bandedge is at least kBT higher than the Fermi level of the semiconductor layer, which allows only selected, “hot” electrons, or electrons of high enough energy, across the barrier. The barrier layer is constructed to have an internal electric field such that the electrons that make it over the initial barrier are assisted in travel to the anode. Once electrons drop to the energy level of the anode, they lose energy to the lattice, thus heating the lattice at the anode. The barrier height of the barrier layer is high enough to prevent the electrons from traveling in the reverse direction.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.