STTR Phase I: Thermoelectric Cooling Technology Utilizing Silicon Nanowires

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) project targets the design and development of a novel thermoelectric device based on a process that forms a densely packed, three-dimensional array of horizontally aligned silicon nanowires. In order to reduce their manufacturing cost, a key objective of this program is to develop processes, which are compatible with current silicon integrated circuit manufacturing. The Company has already designed and is currently prototyping high performance, bulk silicon based thermoelectric devices using standard planar silicon or MEMS processing steps. Through simulations, the company has shown that it is possible to significantly enhance the device performance utilizing the unique properties of silicon nanowires. Upon successful demonstration of the proposed fabrication process during Phase I research, the prototype devices with silicon nanowires will be built during Phase II of the program. Commercially, due to the high performance and ease of manufacture, this new class of thermoelectric device is set to revolutionize a broad range of applications in systems requiring heating, cooling or power generation from waste heat. Some examples include notebook computers, servers, medical devices, automotive equipment, home and commercial appliances, clothing and hybrid cars.