Development of thin-film multijunction thermal converters at NIST

This paper gives an overview of the development of thin-film multijunction thermal converters (FMJTC´s) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). A historical perspective of film thermal converters is presented, followed by descriptions of the motivation, fabrication processes, physical characteristics, and the electrical properties of the FMJTC´s produced at NIST. Integrated micropotentiometers that incorporate FMJTC´s and thermal converters, produced by an alternative fabrication technology using a CMOS foundry, are also described. The paper concludes with a report on the present status of the FMJTC project and future directions