Thermal electric energy converter

• US 20040028307A1
• Filed: 06/12/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Quentin Elias Diduck
• Original Assignee: Quentin Elias Diduck
• Inventors: Diduck, Quentin Elias
• Application Number:
  US10/459,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20040028307A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/09 Devices sensitive to infrared, visible or ultraviolet radiation H01L31/101 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/00 Waveguide horns or mouths; Slot antennas; Leaky-waveguide antennas; Equivalent structures causing radiation along the transmission path of a guided wave
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/06 using refracting or diffracting devices, e.g. lens radome H01Q1/42
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/068 using parallel coplanar travelling wave or leaky wave aerial units H01Q21/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them

Abstract

Thermal Electric Energy Converter, for use in converting electromagnetic energy directly into electrical energy, by utilizing a series of appropriately scaled electromagnetic wave guides constructed using semiconductor materials. The guiding structures produce high frequency electrical signals in response to radiation input that are then collected to common nodes to produce a continuous signal.

Claims

1. A converter for converting electromagnetic energy to electric energy, the converter comprising:

a material transparent to the electromagnetic energy with an index of refraction surrounded by a material with a lower index of refraction, the two materials forming a waveguide; and

a rectifier coupled to the waveguide and positioned to rectify the electromagnetic energy and form a positive and a negative region on the converter, from which a current may be drawn.

2. The converter of claim 1 in which the rectifier comprises the surrounding material having alternating layers of p-type and n-type material.

3. The converter of claim 2 in which the surrounding material having alternating layers of p-type and n-type material, the layers being separated by intrinsically neutral material.

4. The converter of claim 1 in which the rectifier comprises a ballistic rectifying structure.

5. The converter of claim 4 in which the rectifying material comprises the inside of the surrounding material.

6. The converter of claim 1 in which the rectifier comprises a schottky diode structure.

7. The converter of claim 6 in which the rectifying material comprises the inside of the surrounding material.

8. The converter of claim 1 in which the rectifier comprises a p-metal material.

9. A cluster of converters, the cluster comprising two or more converters of claim 1, the converters connected by conductive connectors.

10. A cluster of converters, the cluster comprising two or more converters of claim 1, the converters connected by electronic components.

11. The converter of claim 1 in which the converter is enclosed in an electromagnetic cavity.

12. The electromagnetic cavity of claim 11 in which the cavity comprises black silicon.

13. The cluster of converters in claim 1 in which one or more converter in the cluster is enclosed in an electromagnetic cavity.

14. The electromagnetic cavity of claim 13 in which the cavity comprises black silicon.

15. The cluster of converters of claim 11 in which the converters are connected out of phase such that the signal across the positive and negative region is a DC voltage.

16. An electromagnetic energy to electric energy converter comprising:

a structure defining an electromagnetic wave-guide, the structure having a region in which electric currents flow upon propagation of electromagnetic energy within the wave-guide, the region having a positive region and a negative region;

a positive conductive contact in the positive region for connection into an electric circuit, and a negative conductive contact in the negative region for connection into the electric circuit.

17. The converter in claim 16 in which the guide is constructed in a semiconductor substrate.

18. The converter in claim 16 in which the positive region and negative region are separated by rectifying PN material.

19. The converter of claim 18 where the rectifying materials are separated by an intrinsically neutral material.

20. The converter in claim 16 in which the positive region and negative region are separated by rectifying P-Metal material.

21. The converter of claim 20 where the rectifying materials are separated by an intrinsically neutral material.

22. The converter in claim 16 in which the positive region and negative region are separated by rectifying metal-insulator-metal material.

23. The converter of claim 22 where the rectifying materials are separated by an intrinsically neutral material.

24. The converter in claim 16 in which the positive region and negative region are separated by a ballistic bridge rectifying structure.

25. The converter in claim 16 in which the rectifying materials comprise the inside surface of the guide.

26. The converter in claim 23 in which the guide structure is filled with a dielectric, or insulator material, or a combination thereof.

28. The cluster of converters in claim 25 in which all the converters are interconnected using conductors, semiconductors, or electrical circuit elements.

29. The cluster of converters in claim 25 in which all the converters are interconnected using optical wave-guides, or optical circuit elements.

30. The converter in claim 16 in which all or some of the converters are encased in an electromagnetic cavity.

31. The cluster of converters in claim 25 in which all or some of the converters are encased in an electromagnetic cavity.

32. The cluster of converters in claim 28 where the cavity is composed of black silicon.

33. The cluster of converters in claim 29 where the cavity is composed of black silicon.

27. A cluster of converters, each converter comprising the converter of 16.