Thermovoltaic semiconductor device including a plasma filter
Abstract
A thermovoltaic energy conversion device and related method for converting thermal energy into an electrical potential. An interference filter is provided on a semiconductor thermovoltaic cell to pre-filter black body radiation. The semiconductor thermovoltaic cell includes a P/N junction supported on a substrate which converts incident thermal energy below the semiconductor junction band gap into electrical potential. The semiconductor substrate is doped to provide a plasma filter which reflects back energy having a wavelength which is above the band gap and which is ineffectively filtered by the interference filter, through the P/N junction to the source of radiation thereby avoiding parasitic absorption of the unusable portion of the thermal radiation energy.
- Inventors:
-
- Clifton Park, NY
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL), Niskayuna, NY (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 872547
- Patent Number(s):
- 5959239
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01L - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC12-76SN00052
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- thermovoltaic; semiconductor; device; including; plasma; filter; energy; conversion; related; method; converting; thermal; electrical; potential; interference; provided; cell; pre-filter; black; radiation; junction; supported; substrate; converts; incident; below; band; gap; doped; provide; reflects; wavelength; ineffectively; filtered; source; avoiding; parasitic; absorption; unusable; portion; radiation energy; related method; interference filter; thermal radiation; electrical potential; band gap; semiconductor substrate; thermal energy; energy conversion; semiconductor device; device including; conversion device; thermovoltaic energy; semiconductor junction; plasma filter; thermovoltaic cell; converting thermal; /136/
Citation Formats
Baldasaro, Paul F. Thermovoltaic semiconductor device including a plasma filter. United States: N. p., 1999.
Web.
Baldasaro, Paul F. Thermovoltaic semiconductor device including a plasma filter. United States.
Baldasaro, Paul F. Fri .
"Thermovoltaic semiconductor device including a plasma filter". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/872547.
@article{osti_872547,
title = {Thermovoltaic semiconductor device including a plasma filter},
author = {Baldasaro, Paul F},
abstractNote = {A thermovoltaic energy conversion device and related method for converting thermal energy into an electrical potential. An interference filter is provided on a semiconductor thermovoltaic cell to pre-filter black body radiation. The semiconductor thermovoltaic cell includes a P/N junction supported on a substrate which converts incident thermal energy below the semiconductor junction band gap into electrical potential. The semiconductor substrate is doped to provide a plasma filter which reflects back energy having a wavelength which is above the band gap and which is ineffectively filtered by the interference filter, through the P/N junction to the source of radiation thereby avoiding parasitic absorption of the unusable portion of the thermal radiation energy.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1999},
month = {1}
}