Methods of drawing high density nanowire arrays in a glassy matrix
US7559215B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 9, 2005 |
| Grant date | Jul 14, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 19, 2026 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10N10/852
Abstract
The present invention provides a method of drawing a thermoelectrically active material in a glass cladding, comprising sealing off one end of a glass tube such that the tube has an open end and a closed end, introducing the thermoelectrically active material inside the glass tube and evacuating the tube by attaching the open end to a vacuum pump, heating a portion of the glass tube such that the glass partially melts and collapses under the vacuum such that the partially melted glass tube provides an ampoule containing the thermoelectric material to be used in a first drawing operation, introducing the ampoule containing the thermoelectric material into a heating device, increasing the temperature within the heating device such that the glass tube melts just enough for it to be drawn and drawing fibers of glass clad thermoelectrically active material. The invention further provides a method for bunching together such fibers and re-drawing them one or more times to produce arrays of thermoelectric nanowires clad in glass.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.