Well that’s rather interesting. STMicro would be expected to be doing R&D in the area of microelectronics and fabrication techniques, and this I think is where they are aiming to out-LENR Rossi with this priority claim.
I’m no patent attorney but I’ve got a few and have a good understanding of MEMS - here’s the paydirt IMHO:
“It may be possibile to simultaneously realize, on an inert support, for example a silicon substrate coated with a layer of the respective oxide, heaters and temperature sensors suitable for being used in reaction chambers where the interaction between hydrogen and transition metals for the activation of nuclear reactions occurs at temperatures approximately between 100 and 500 degrees Celsius (° C.). This realization may be attained with relatively reduced costs and in a compact, extremely precise form.”
From the above, this sounds like “LENR in a nutshell” but prefaced by their “for example...” leads me to think they are looking at implementing the LENR reactor with silicon wafer-scale integration, using MEMS fab technology. The art of making microstructures in silicon (including flow channels, sensing elements, micro pumps, micro valves, and reaction surfaces, etc) is well established. It is also easy to make strong yet very small and resilient supporting structures, heating elements, and so forth in MEMS devices. Combine all the above and you’ve got “LENR on a Chip”...think about that....
Too bad thermovoltaics are so inefficient, it would be great if there was a way to convert this heat directly into electricity.
“LENR on a Chip”...
Small, cheap portable heating units for, for example, heating liquids, food and tents on camping trips?
Office drip coffee maker that uses almost no electricity?
And so forth...