TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Component: The base metal includes gold, platinum, palladium, silver, silicon, tungsten, or chromium. The deposited metal includes at cesium or cesium oxide. The metal electrodes include an alkali. The first and second wafer includes glass, or silicon dioxide. They are made of silicon. They include a combination of silicon and metal as the metal electrodes. The metal plating is chromium, copper, or gold. The metal protective layer includes chromium or gold.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - METALLURGY - Preferred Component: The metal electrode(s) includes base metal, and metal deposited on the surface of the base metal. The deposited metal causes the metal electrode to have a work function that is lower than the work function of the base metal. The thermal tunneling units are formed in two bonded glass substrates, and silicon (Si) substrates with a removed inter-device silicon material. The effective gap is generated through applying a voltage greater than a threshold voltage across the mated electrodes, and annealing the metal electrodes to form silicide. The solid state thermal engine device further includes etched wells located between thermal tunneling units, metal plating located adjacent to each metal electrode, conductive material located adjacent to the metal plating, first wafer portion having first surface and first metal electrode, and second wafer portion having second surface and second metal electrode.Preferred Process: The fabrication of solid state thermal engine device further includes:(1) applying a voltage greater than a threshold voltage across the mated electrodes;(2) applying a current greater than a threshold across the mated electrodes;(3) generating mated metal electrode pairs, generating wells between each mated metal electrode pair;(4) removing the substrate that is adjacent to the metal electrode in the via;(5) applying a metal protective layer over the applied metal plating;(6) applying a conductive material adjacent to the metal protective layer in the via; and(7) attaching greater than or equal to 2 solid state thermal engine devices together.The attachment of engine devices includes attaching in one of a parallel or serial connection.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Component: The base metal includes gold, platinum, palladium, silver, silicon, tungsten, or chromium. The deposited metal includes at cesium or cesium oxide. The metal electrodes include an alkali. The first and second wafer includes glass, or silicon dioxide. They are made of silicon. They include a combination of silicon and metal as the metal electrodes. The metal plating is chromium, copper, or gold. The metal protective layer includes chromium or gold.