Nanowires for Thermoelectric Devices

Nanowire-based material systems offer a variety of advantages over traditional thin film systems. Thus, nanowire device applications are highly sought after. However, the great majority of existing device applications are based on single nanowires or nanowires operating independently of each other. UCSC’s unique material system, based on randomly oriented and intersecting semiconductor nanowires grown on amorphous substrates, leads to three-dimensional nanowire networks. This allows long-range carrier transport from one nanowire to another. This nanowire network enables nanowire-based devices to be designed with added functionality, and as such includes electrical and thermal transport in directions nominally perpendicular to the surface of a substrate on which the nanowire network is formed. By utilizing nanowire networks that allow electrons and holes to travel over distances much longer than the length of a single nanowire, entirely new device architectures are made possible. University of California, Santa Cruz Office for Management of Intellectual Property technology@ucsc.edu 831.459.5415