Patent ID: 9577173
Date: 2017-02-21
CPC Classifications: B82Y,G01J,H01L

Claim:
1. A thermocouple assembly, comprising: a mono-metallic nanowire made of a single conductive material having a length and at least one variation in a cross-sectional area along the length; wherein the at least one variation in the cross-sectional area along the length provides a junction point that is intermediate first and second segments of the mono-metallic nanowire and wherein the junction point and the first and second segments of the mono-metallic nanowire form a thermocouple, wherein the first and second segments of the mono-metallic nanowire have a different width leading to the junction point and wherein the width of the first and second segments of the mono-metallic nanowire are each less than 1 μm, and wherein a third segment of the mono-metallic nanowire, wherein the third segment has the same width as the first segment, and the second segment is intermediate the first and third segments.