Micro combustion-thermionic power generation: feasibility, design and initial results

Abstract

This paper reports for the first time the design, development and initial results from a micro power generator based on thermionic (TI) emission using combustion. Several major results are achieved. .Thinfilms of BaO are integrated with Si to form the emitter and collector of a TI converter. Field emission and TI emission currents are successfully measured from this converter. Thick S O 2 rings are formed to achieve excellent thermal isolation. An integrated process to fabricate micromachined TI power generators is developed. Combustion has been achieved in the micromachined combustor. And power generation of ' -1 pW has been measured in emitter-collector subsystem testing. Improvement of the device and testing is needed for achieving system-level power generation from combustion.

Fabrication of thick silicon dioxide layers for thermal isolation

“…Good thermal isolation is very desirable in small-scale hightemperature devices. Examples include micro hotplates [1], infrared detectors [2] and infrared thermal sources [3], ultrasonic transducers for high-temperature applications [4], micromachined reactor [5] and combustion-based micro power generators [6][7][8][9][10]. Of the commonly used MEMS materials, silicon dioxide is preferred because of its low thermal conductivity.…”