EAGER: Investigation and Optimization of Thermoelectric Properties of Highly-Doped Polysilicon Nanowires

该项目的目标是开发一种强大的制造工艺，用于制造用于测量多晶硅纳米线热电性能的微结构，并随后生成优化多晶硅纳米线热电性能的指导方针。将研究尺寸、沉积参数和掺杂类型/浓度对优值的影响。其智力上的优点是填补了多晶硅纳米线热电性能的现有知识空白。这种纳米线在开发高性能红外传感器方面有直接的应用。尽管早期有关于硅纳米线增强热电性能的报道，但还没有基于这种优异性能的实用热电器件的报道。这主要是由于硅纳米线生长和转移的复杂过程，这阻碍了此类器件的批量制造。这项研究的结果可能会改变这种状况，因为多晶硅纳米线可以通过传统的微加工工艺和纳米级光刻制造。这为利用纳米线增强性能的新型热电器件的生产创造了一个独特的机会。预计将产生更广泛的影响，使低成本和高性能红外探测器在军事、民用和医疗诊断应用中广泛使用，在这些应用中不存在具有足够性能的成本效益解决方案。为拟议的研究活动所收到的资金还将使PI能够征聘和培训当地人才，优先考虑代表性不足的少数民族，并将为研究生水平的微/纳米系统课程制作材料。

The objective of this project is to develop a robust fabrication process for manufacturing micro-structures that will be used to measure the thermoelectric properties of polysilicon nanowires and subsequently to generate guidelines for optimizing the thermoelectric figure of merit in polysilicon nanowires. The effect of size, deposition parameters, and doping type/concentration on the figure of merit will be studied. The intellectual merit is in filling the existing knowledge gap about thermoelectric properties of polysilicon nanowires. Such nanowires have an immediate application in developing high-performance IR sensors. Despite earlier reports on enhanced thermoelectric properties of silicon nanowires, there has been no report of practical thermoelectric devices that function based on such superior properties. This is mainly due to the complex process of growth and transfer of silicon nanowires, which hinders the batch-fabrication of such devices. The results of this research can potentially transform this status since polysilicon nanowires can be fabricated through conventional microfabrication processes and nanoscale lithography. This creates a unique opportunity for production of novel thermoelectric devices that take advantage of enhanced properties of nanowires.The broader impact is envisioned in enabling low-cost and high-performance IR detectors with widespread usage in military, civilian, and medical diagnostic applications, where cost effective solutions with adequate performance do not exist. The funds received for the proposed research activities will also allow the PI to recruit and train local talents with priority given to underrepresented minorities and also will produce material for graduate level courses on micro/nano-systems.