Methods of fabricating nanostructures and nanowires and devices fabricated therefrom
View Patent ↗One-dimensional nanostructures having uniform diameters of less than approximately 200 nm. These inventive nanostructures, which we refer to as “nanowires”, include single-crystalline homostructures as well as heterostructures of at least two single-crystalline materials having different chemical compositions. Because single-crystalline materials are used to form the heterostructure, the resultant heterostructure will be single-crystalline as well. The nanowire heterostructures are generally based on a semiconducting wire wherein the doping and composition are controlled in either the longitudinal or radial directions, or in both directions, to yield a wire that comprises different materials. Examples of resulting nanowire heterostructures include a longitudinal heterostructure nanowire (LOHN) and a coaxial heterostructure nanowire (COHN).
1. A thermoelectric device, comprising:
a matrix disposed on a substrate;
the matrix comprising one or more inorganic nanowires embedded within a dielectric material;
wherein the one or more nanowires comprise coaxial heterostructure nanowires.
2. A thermoelectric device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the dielectric material comprises a polymer.
3. A thermoelectric device as recited in claim 1 :
wherein the one or more nanowires are integrally attached to the substrate; and
wherein said nanowires are grown on said substrate.
4. A thermoelectric device as recited in claim 3 :
wherein the one or more nanowires are grown substantially perpendicular to the substrate surface.
5. A thermoelectric device as recited in claim 3 :
wherein the matrix is partially etched away to expose an upper portion of the one or more nanowires.
6. A thermoelectric device as recited in claim 5 , further comprising:
one or more electrical contacts electrically coupled to the exposed portion of the one or more nanowires.
7. A thermoelectric device as recited in claim 6 :
wherein the one or more inorganic nanowires comprises an array of n-doped nanowires;
said n-doped nanowires being coupled to a first electrical contact.
8. A thermoelectric device as recited in claim 7 , further comprising:
a second array of p-doped nanowires;
said p-doped nanowires being coupled to a second electrical contact;
wherein the n-doped nanowire array and p-doped nanowire array are disposed between upper and lower electrically insulating substrates.
9. A thermoelectric device as recited in claim 8 , wherein the n-doped nanowire array and p-doped nanowire array are coupled electrically in series to the upper and lower electrically insulating substrates.
10. A thermoelectric device as recited in claim 9 , wherein the n-doped nanowire array and p-doped nanowire array are coupled thermally in parallel to the upper and lower electrically insulating substrates.
11. A thermoelectric device as recited in claim 8 , wherein the n-doped nanowire array and p-doped nanowire array are configured to function as a thermoelectric cooler.
12. A thermoelectric device as recited in claim 8 , wherein the n-doped nanowire array and p-doped nanowire array are configured to function as a thermoelectric power generator.
13. A thermoelectric device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more nanowires are selected from a group consisting essentially of: Bi, Bi 2 Te 3 InGaAs or SiGe.
14. A thermoelectric device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more nanowires comprise:
a core of a first material at least partially surrounded by a sheath of a compositionally different material.
15. A thermoelectric device as recited in claim 14 , wherein the sheath comprises a non-amorphous material.
16. A thermoelectric device as recited in claim 14 , wherein each of said core and said sheath comprises a semiconductor material.
17. A thermoelectric device as recited in claim 16 , wherein at least one of said core and said sheath comprises a doped semiconductor material.
18. A thermoelectric device as recited in claim 14 , wherein at least one of said core and said sheath comprises a substantially crystalline material.