Thermoelectric Device Based on Vertical Silicon Nanowires for On-Chip Integration

A fabricating process of prototype thermoelectric device based on vertical silicon nanowires (SiNWs) for on-chip integration was presented. The SiNWs with diameter of 200 nm and height of 1 μm were fabricated by electron beam lithography and inductively coupled plasma etching. The gaps between the NWs were filled by the spin-on glass, which isolated the top and bottom electrodes. A serpentine platinum resistance thermometer coil was formed on the NWs to create temperature gradient across the NWs and measure the temperature of the top of NWs. I-V characteristics of the vertical device before and after annealing were measured. The nonlinear I-V curves were obtained, but the annealed one demonstrated 1000-fold reduction in resistance than the unannealed one.