Exb drift thermoelectric energy generation device

Abstract

This invention describes a thermoelectric energy generation device based on the ExB drift in a semiconductor. The material is in depletion mode to avoid cancellation of the electric field by space charges. Under ideal, infinite mobility, zero-collision conditions, electrons and holes drift in the same direction, perpendicularly to the electric and magnetic fields, resulting in a zero-output current. However, when mobility is finite, their differing properties such as mobility, effective mass, and charge, manifest themselves as different drift velocity and drift direction resulting in a net output current and power. This invention leverages carriers' properties to accentuate these differences and maximize the output power. Quantities being optimized include, mobility, the product of mobility and the magnetic field, positioning electrodes along the drift axis of the overriding carriers, and adjusting the thickness of the semiconductor layer to accommodate the cycloid motion of one type of carrier but not the other.