This transmission electron microscope image shows a single silicon nanowire.
Thermoelectric materials convert heat to electricity and vice versa. Most fossil-fuel-powered engines generate waste heat, so researchers are using nanotechnologies to explore ways of making thermoelectric devices more efficient in order to convert that waste heat to usable power—and thus save energy.
• SIZE: The diameter of this nanowire is approximately 100 nm.
• IMAGING TOOL: Transmission electron microscope
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