Arrays of nanowires on silicon wafers

Nanowires made of thermoelectric-relevant materials were grown in the pores of alumina templates fabricated on silicon wafers. This architecture combines the nanometer-scale, self-assembly nature of the anodic alumina with the micro-scale, versatile nature of integrated circuits processing. The nanowires can be made by the pressure injection technique, and even more conveniently by electrochemical deposition. The geometry is adequate for 2-point transport measurements on the nanowire arrays, and for fabrication of nanowire-based devices made of several materials and several components. In this context, a fabrication scheme for a thermoelectric device, containing both n-type and p-type legs, is suggested.