Roles of Semiconductor Junctions in Mechanical-Electrical Power Conversion

Recent advance in DC electric generators has demonstrated that the new generators are of several advantages over traditional electric generators that are well known to us. In these new generators, DC electric power is converted from mechanical power through either semiconductor junction modification by mechanic impact or junction motion by sliding one semiconductor/metal electrode on the other. The short circuit current is determined by generation rate of electrons and holes at the contacted surfaces, while the open circuit voltage is determined by the chemical potential difference of the two electrodes. In this invited talk, I shall review recent advances in the generators and discuss electron transport in the devices.