HIGH DENSITY NANOWIRE ARRAYS IN A GLASSY MATRIX, AND METHODS FOR DRAWING THE SAME

摘要

The present invention provides a method of drawing a thermoelectrically active material (22) in a glass cladding (14), comprising sealing off one end of a glass tube (14) such that the tube (14) has an open end and a closed end, introducing the thermoelectrically active material (22) inside the glass tube (14) and evacuating the tube (14) by attaching the open end to a vacuum pump, heating a portion of the glass tube (14) such that the glass partially melts and collapses under the vacuum such that the partially melted glass tube (14) provides an ampoule (54) containing the thermoelectric material (22) to be used in a first drawing operation, introducing the ampoule (54) containing the thermoelectric material (22) into a heating device (10), increasing the temperature within the heating device (10) such that the glass tube (14) melts just enough for it to be drawn and drawing fibers (24) of the glass clad thermoelectrically active material (22).