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

该项目的目标是开发一种用于制造微结构的稳健制造工艺，该微结构将用于测量多晶硅纳米线的热电特性，并随后生成用于优化多晶硅纳米线的热电优值的指南。将研究尺寸、沉积参数和掺杂类型/浓度对品质因数的影响。其智力价值在于填补了现有的关于多晶硅纳米线热电性能的知识空白。这种纳米线在开发高性能IR传感器方面具有直接的应用。尽管早期报道了硅纳米线的增强的热电性能，但还没有报道基于这种上级性能起作用的实用热电器件。这主要是由于硅纳米线的生长和转移的复杂过程，这阻碍了这种器件的批量制造。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光刻制造。这为利用纳米线的增强性能生产新型热电器件创造了独特的机会。更广泛的影响是在实现低成本和高性能的红外探测器方面，可广泛用于军事，民用和医疗诊断应用，其中不存在具有足够性能的成本效益解决方案。为拟议的研究活动收到的资金还将使PI能够招聘和培训当地人才，优先考虑代表性不足的少数民族，并将为微/纳米系统研究生课程制作材料。

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.