Polycrystalline silicon nanowires fabricated with top-down technology are utilized as thermoelements in MEMS devices used for micro energy conversion or thermoelectric sensing. At the present state of advancement of this activity, stacked polycrystalline silicon nanowires with n and p-type doping in high density arrays have been fabricated and integrated in MEMS thermoelectric generators (TEGs), for micro-energy harvesting from heat dispersed by hot surfaces. Techniques for measurements of thermoelectric properties of the nanowires have been investigated (thermal conductivity, Seebeck coefficient and electrical resistivity). A MEMS nanowire-based TEG prototype has been manufactured and tested in laboratory environment (TRL 4).

Contact person: Alberto Roncaglia