| 摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thermoelectric material in which nanowired thermoelectric substances of a novel structure having a smaller diameter are formed at a density higher than that in the prior art, with the figure of merit remarkably increased. <P>SOLUTION: The thermoelectric material 43 is made of nanowires obtained by introducing a thermoelectric substance (semiconductor material) 47 into pillar pores 46 of a porous member 45. The porous member 45 is formed by removing the pillar substances from a structure in which the pillar substances containing a first component (e.g., aluminum) 41 are dispersed in a member containing a second component 44 (e.g., silicon, germainum or a mixture of germainum and silicon) capable of forming a eutectic with the first component 41. The thermoelectric substances 47 as the nanowires have an average diameter not smaller than 0.5 nm and smaller than 15 nm, and are spaced from each other by an interval not smaller than 5 nm and smaller than 20 nm. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI |
