Power generation element, power generation module, power generation device, and power generation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10707396-B2
Application number	US-201815904557-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2018
Priority date	May 22, 2017
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a power generation element includes a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer, a first member, and a second member. The first member includes a first crystal and is provided between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer. The first crystal has a wurtzite structure. The second member is separated from the first member and is provided between the first member and the second conductive layer. A <000-1> direction of the first crystal has a component from the first member toward the second member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power generation element, comprising:
a first conductive layer;
a second conductive layer;
a first member including a first crystal and being provided between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, the first crystal having a wurtzite structure; and
a second member separated from the first member and provided between the first member and the second conductive layer, a gap being provided between the first member and the second member,
a <000-1> direction of the first crystal having a component from the first member toward the second member,
wherein the second member includes a second crystal having a wurtzite structure,
a <000-1> direction of the second crystal has a component from the second member toward the first member, and
a thickness of the first member along a direction from the first member toward the second member is 5 nm or less.

2. The element according to claim 1 , wherein
the first member has a first surface opposing the second member, and
the first surface is a (000-1) plane.

3. The element according to claim 1 , wherein
the second member has a second surface opposing the first member, and
the second surface is a (000-1) plane.

4. The element according to claim 1 , wherein the second crystal includes nitrogen and at least one selected from the group consisting of B, Al, In, and Ga.

5. The element according to claim 1 , wherein the second crystal includes at least one selected from the group consisting of ZnO and ZnMgO.

6. The element according to claim 1 , wherein the first crystal includes nitrogen and at least one selected from the group consisting of B, Al, In, and Ga.

7. The element according to claim 1 , wherein the first crystal includes at least one selected from the group consisting of ZnO and ZnMgO.

8. A power generation element, comprising:
a first conductive layer;
a second conductive layer;
a first member provided between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer; and
a second member separated from the first member and provided between the first member and the second conductive layer, a gap being provided between the first member and the second member,
the first member including a first surface and a third surface, the first surface being provided between the third surface and the second member,
a polarization being positive at the first surface, and
a polarization being negative at the third surface,
wherein the second member includes a second surface and a fourth surface, the second surface is provided between the fourth surface and the first member,
a polarization is positive at the second surface, and
a polarization is negative at the fourth surface.

9. The element according to claim 8 , wherein the second member includes at least one selected from the group consisting of BaTiO 3 , PbTiO 3 , Pb(Zr x , Ti 1-x )O 3 , KNbO 3 , LiNbO 3 , LiTaO 3 , Na x WO 3 , ZnO, Ba 2 NaNb 5 O 5 , Pb 2 KNb 5 O 15 , and Li 2 B 4 O 7 .

10. The element according to claim 8 , wherein
the second member includes a second crystal, and
the second crystal includes nitrogen and at least one selected from the group consisting of B, Al, In, and Ga.

11. The element according to claim 8 , wherein the first member includes at least one selected from the group consisting of BaTiO 3 , PbTiO 3 , Pb(Zr x , Ti 1-x )O 3 , KNbO 3 , LiNbO 3 , LiTaO 3 , NaWO 3 , ZnO, Ba 2 NaNb 5 O 5 , Pb 2 KNb 5 O 15 , and Li 2 B 4 O 7 .

12. The element according to claim 11 , wherein a thickness of the first member along a direction from the first member toward the second member is 5 nm or less.

13. The element according to claim 8 , wherein
the first member includes a first crystal, and
the first crystal includes nitrogen and at least one selected from the group consisting of B, Al, In, and Ga.

14. The element according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first terminal electrically connected to the first conductive layer; and
a second terminal electrically connected to the second conductive layer,
a load being electrically connectable between the first terminal and the second terminal.

15. The element according to claim 1 , wherein
when a temperature of the first member is higher than a temperature of the second member,
electrons are emitted from the first member, and
the electrons reach the second member.

16. A power generation module, comprising a plurality of the power generation elements according to claim 1 .

17. A power generation device, comprising a plurality of the power generation modules according to claim 16 .

18. A power generation system, comprising:
the power generation device according to claim 17 ; and
a drive device,
the drive device causing the power generation device to follow a movement of the sun.

19. The element according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a first terminal electrically connected to the first conductive layer; and
a second terminal electrically connected to the second conductive layer,
a load being electrically connectable between the first terminal and the second terminal.

20. The element according to claim 8 , wherein when a temperature of the first member is higher than a temperature of the second member,
electrons are emitted from the first member, and
the electrons reach the second member.

21. A power generation module, comprising a plurality of the power generation elements according to claim 8 .

22. A power generation device, comprising a plurality of the power generation modules according to claim 21 .

23. A power generation system, comprising:
the power generation device according to claim 22 ; and
a drive device causing the power generation device to follow a movement of the sun.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Kimura Shigeya
• Mizuguchi Koji

Classifications

• H10N10/80 Primary

  Constructional details · CPC title

• H10N15/00

  Thermoelectric devices without a junction of dissimilar materials; Thermomagnetic devices, e.g. using the Nernst-Ettingshausen effect (integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10N19/00) · CPC title

• H10N70/00

  Solid-state devices having no potential barriers, and specially adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching (integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10N79/00) · CPC title

• H01J45/00 Primary

  Discharge tubes functioning as thermionic generators {(structural combination of fuel element with thermoelectric element G21C3/40; nuclear power plants using thermionic converters G21D7/04; structural combination of a radioactive source with a thermionic converter, e.g. radioisotope batteries G21H1/10; generators in which thermal or kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy by ionisation of a fluid and removal of the charge therefrom H02N3/00)} · CPC title

• H02N3/00

  Generators in which thermal or kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy by ionisation of a fluid and removal of the charge therefrom (discharge tubes functioning as thermionic generators H01J45/00) · CPC title