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.<\/p>\n
It converts heat into electricity up to three times more efficiently than silicon\u2014a semi-conductor material widely used in the electronics industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ability of our diode to convert heat into electricity is very large compared to other bulk materials currently used in electronics,\u201d said physicist Yi Gu from Washington State University.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn 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,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the world of electronics, Schottky diodes are used to guide electricity in a specific direction.<\/p>\n
They are made by attaching a conductor metal like aluminium to a semi-conductor material like silicon.<\/p>\n
\u201dWhen 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,\u201d said Matthew McCluskey, the study\u2019s co-author.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese imperfections trap electrons, impeding the flow of electricity. Gu\u2019s diode is unique in that as its surface does not appear to have any of these defects,\u201d McCluskey added.<\/p>\n
This lowers resistance to the flow of electricity, making the device much more energy efficient.<\/p>\n
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