Junction based enhancement in nanowire thermoelectrics

Using a MEMS thermal workbench we have demonstrated that the use of series junctioned nanowires (SJN) provides a method for increasing the thermoelectric power of nanowire systems. We have observed up to a 100 times increase in ZT by use of Au SJN. A junction based thermoelectric power has been previously predicted however until now, such a large thermoelectric junction power has not been reported. Furthermore, the enhancement in the thermopower is observed around room temperature making this an extremely attractive method for achieving high-performance thermoelectrics from fairly simple materials at the nanoscale.