Thermal current generation in semiconductor gaps

摘要

The possibilities of converting heat directly into electricity at a current-conducting contact with a discrete temperature drop are investigated. The model of a nondegenerate electron gas is used. It is shown that on energy threshold must be present at the contact in order for an EMF to be generated. It is proposed that a thin layer of a semiconductor be inserted in to the gap between the electrodes in order to decrease the threshold and to obtain a perceptible current at an average temperature.