New York Sep 3 (IANS) A physicist is developing a device that could turn the heat generated by electronics into a usable fuel source.
According to the research results published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters the multicomponent multilayered composite material device is called a van der Waals Schottky diode.
It converts heat into electricity up to three times more efficiently than silicon -- a semi-conductor material widely used in the electronics industry.
"The ability of our diode to convert heat into electricity is very large compared to other bulk materials currently used in electronics " said physicist Yi Gu from Washington State University.
"In the future one layer could be attached to something hot like a car exhaust or a computer motor and another to a surface at room temperature " he added.
"The diode would then use the heat differential between the two surfaces to create an electric current that could be stored in a battery and used when needed."
In the world of electronics Schottky diodes are used to guide electricity in a specific direction.
They are made by attaching a conductor metal like aluminium to a semi-conductor material like silicon.
"When you attach a metal to a semi-conductor material like silicon to form a Schottky diode there are always some defects that form at the interface " said Matthew McCluskey the study s co-author.
"These imperfections trap electrons impeding the flow of electricity. Gu s diode is unique in that as its surface does not appear to have any of these defects " McCluskey added.
This lowers resistance to the flow of electricity making the device much more energy efficient.
--IANS
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