Small gap device system and method of fabrication

Abstract

A small-gap device system, preferably including two or more electrodes and one or more spacers maintaining a gap between two or more of the electrodes. A spacer for a small-gap device system, preferably including a plurality of legs defining a mesh structure. A method of spacer and/or small-gap device fabrication, preferably including: defining lateral features, depositing spacer material, selectively removing spacer material, separating the spacer from a fabrication substrate, and/or assembling the small-gap device.

1 . A thermionic energy converter system, comprising:
 a first electrode comprising a first surface;   a second electrode comprising a second surface; and   a mesh spacer maintaining a gap between the first and second surfaces;   
       wherein:
 the first and second surfaces are arranged facing each other across the gap; 
 the mesh spacer electrically and thermally isolates the first electrode from the second electrode; 
 the mesh spacer defines a mesh structure comprising a set of vertices and a set of paths connected between vertices of the set, the set of paths comprising a first path and a second path; 
 the mesh spacer comprises a set of legs extending substantially along the set of paths, the set of legs comprising:
 a first leg extending substantially along the first path, the first leg comprising a first protrusion that contacts the first surface, the first protrusion protruding toward the first surface from a body of the first leg; and 
 a second leg extending substantially along the second path, the second leg connected to the first leg via the set of legs, wherein the second leg contacts the second surface; and 
 
 the mesh spacer defines a plurality of apertures between legs of the set of legs, wherein, for each aperture of the plurality, a respective first surface normal vector from the first surface to the second surface passes through the aperture and does not intersect the mesh spacer.