Patent ID: 8822813

Claim:
A submicron gap thermophotovoltaic structure for improved generation of electrical power, the structure comprising: an infrared radiation emitter substrate having an external first surface for receiving energy from a heat source and an opposing internal second surface in juxtaposition with a first surface of an infrared radiation-transparent window substrate across a submicron gap; the infrared radiation-transparent window substrate having a high refractive index and a second surface opposing the first surface, the second surface being affixed to a first surface of a photovoltaic cell substrate by an infrared-transparent compliant adhesive layer having a high refractive index; the photovoltaic cell substrate receiving increased infrared radiation focused on the photovoltaic cell substrate due to the difference of the low refractive index of the submicron gap and the high refractive indices of the infrared radiation-transparent window substrate and the infrared-transparent compliant adhesive layer; and increased electrical power output and improved efficiency by the submicron gap thermophotovoltaic structure provided by the high refractive indices of the substrates and the difference of the refractive indices of the substrates and the near field submicron gap.