Integrating micro and nano: A route for all-silicon thermoelectricity?

One-dimensional (1D) nanowire structures have been shown to be promising candidates for enhancing the thermoelectric properties of semiconductor materials. This is also true for (abundant and technologically enabling) silicon, which in bulk form behaves poorly in the thermoelectric domain. This paper goes beyond single nanowire characterization and reports on the integration into MEMS structures of multiple dense arrays of well-oriented, size-controlled and electrically connected silicon nanowires (Si NWs). By combining generic top-down and bottom-up processes in the micro and the nano domain, a route for all-silicon planar thermoelectric microgenerators can then be envisaged using a rather simple technology.