IP Library › Granted Patent US 12676571
Granted Patent B2
US 12676571 · App. 19/117,099 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Near-field thermal radiation power generation element

Inventors: Shimpei Ogawa (Tokyo, JP); Masaaki Shimatani (Tokyo, JP); Shoichiro Fukushima (Tokyo, JP); Manabu Iwakawa (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
H02S10/30
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12676571
App. No.
19/117,099
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a near-field thermal radiation power generation element in which the efficiency of power generation by near-field thermal radiation is improved by reducing a distance between a heat source and a photoelectric conversion unit as compared with that in a conventional case. A near-field thermal radiation power generation element includes a heat source, a photoelectric conversion unit, and a stopper. The heat source has a heat source surface. The photoelectric conversion unit has a photoelectric conversion unit surface facing the heat source surface. The stopper connects the heat source surface and the photoelectric conversion unit surface. A material for the stopper is a two-dimensional material.

Claims (38)

1 . A near-field thermal radiation power generation element comprising:

a heat source having a heat source surface;

a photoelectric conversion unit having a photoelectric conversion unit surface facing the heat source surface; and

a stopper to connect the heat source surface and the photoelectric conversion unit surface, wherein

a material for the stopper is a two-dimensional material.

2 . The near-field thermal radiation power generation element according to claim 1 , wherein

the photoelectric conversion unit includes a photoelectric conversion member having the photoelectric conversion unit surface, and

a material for the photoelectric conversion member is a two-dimensional material.

3 . The near-field thermal radiation power generation element according to claim 2 , wherein the photoelectric conversion unit includes

a substrate,

a pair of electrodes connected with the photoelectric conversion member, and

an insulating layer formed between the substrate and the pair of electrodes.

4 . The near-field thermal radiation power generation element according to claim 3 , wherein a material for the pair of electrodes is a two-dimensional material.

5 . The near-field thermal radiation power generation element according to claim 3 , wherein

the pair of electrodes each have a first electrode surface facing the heat source surface, and

a first distance which is a distance from the heat source surface to the photoelectric conversion unit surface is smaller than a second distance which is a distance from the heat source surface to the first electrode surface.

6 . The near-field thermal radiation power generation element according to claim 3 , wherein the substrate has flexibility.

7 . The near-field thermal radiation power generation element according to claim 2 , wherein the photoelectric conversion member has a shape in which plasmon resonance occurs.

8 . The near-field thermal radiation power generation element according to claim 2 , wherein the material for the photoelectric conversion member is any one selected from the group consisting of a single-layer two-dimensional material, a multilayer two-dimensional material, and a turbostratic stacked two-dimensional material.

9 . The near-field thermal radiation power generation element according to claim 2 , wherein the stopper is connected to only the photoelectric conversion unit surface.

10 . The near-field thermal radiation power generation element according to claim 2 , wherein the photoelectric conversion member has a PN junction.

11 . The near-field thermal radiation power generation element according to claim 1 , wherein the photoelectric conversion unit includes a photosensitizer.

12 . The near-field thermal radiation power generation element according to claim 1 , wherein the material for the stopper is an insulating material.

13 . The near-field thermal radiation power generation element according to claim 2 , wherein

the material for the photoelectric conversion member is graphene, and

the material for the stopper is boron nitride.

14 . The near-field thermal radiation power generation element according to claim 1 , wherein either a through hole or a vacancy is formed in the stopper.

15 . The near-field thermal radiation power generation element according to claim 1 , wherein

the heat source includes a two-dimensional material layer having the heat source surface, and

the two-dimensional material layer is made of a two-dimensional material.

16 . The near-field thermal radiation power generation element according to claim 1 , wherein

the photoelectric conversion unit includes a first photoelectric conversion unit and a second photoelectric conversion unit,

the stopper includes a first stopper and a second stopper,

the photoelectric conversion unit surface includes a first photoelectric conversion unit surface and a second photoelectric conversion unit surface,

the first photoelectric conversion unit has the first photoelectric conversion unit surface facing the heat source surface,

the second photoelectric conversion unit has the second photoelectric conversion unit surface facing the heat source surface,

the first stopper connects the heat source surface and the first photoelectric conversion unit surface, and

the second stopper connects the heat source surface and the second photoelectric conversion unit surface.