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Akram Boukai

Bio: Akram Boukai is an academic researcher from California Institute of Technology. The author has contributed to research in topics: Thermoelectric effect & Nanowire. The author has an hindex of 19, co-authored 28 publications receiving 7345 citations. Previous affiliations of Akram Boukai include University of California, Los Angeles & University of California, Berkeley.

Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
10 Jan 2008-Nature
TL;DR: Independent measurements of the Seebeck coefficient, the electrical conductivity and the thermal conductivity, combined with theory, indicate that the improved efficiency originates from phonon effects, and these results are expected to apply to other classes of semiconductor nanomaterials.
Abstract: Thermoelectric materials, capable of converting a thermal gradient to an electric field and vice versa, could be useful in power generation and refrigeration. But the fabrication of the available high-performance thermoelectric materials is not easily scaled up to the volumes needed for large-scale heat energy scavenging applications. Nanostructuring improves thermoelectric capabilities of some materials, but good thermoelectric materials tend not to take readily to nanostructuring. How about silicon? It can be processed on a large scale but has poor thermoelectric properties. Two groups now show that silicon's thermoelectric properties can be vastly improved by structuring it into arrays of nanowires and carefully controlling nanowire morphology and doping. So with more development, silicon may have potential as a thermoelectric material. Thermoelectric materials interconvert thermal gradients and electric fields for power generation or for refrigeration1,2. Thermoelectrics currently find only niche applications because of their limited efficiency, which is measured by the dimensionless parameter ZT—a function of the Seebeck coefficient or thermoelectric power, and of the electrical and thermal conductivities. Maximizing ZT is challenging because optimizing one physical parameter often adversely affects another3. Several groups have achieved significant improvements in ZT through multi-component nanostructured thermoelectrics4,5,6, such as Bi2Te3/Sb2Te3 thin-film superlattices, or embedded PbSeTe quantum dot superlattices. Here we report efficient thermoelectric performance from the single-component system of silicon nanowires for cross-sectional areas of 10 nm × 20 nm and 20 nm × 20 nm. By varying the nanowire size and impurity doping levels, ZT values representing an approximately 100-fold improvement over bulk Si are achieved over a broad temperature range, including ZT ≈ 1 at 200 K. Independent measurements of the Seebeck coefficient, the electrical conductivity and the thermal conductivity, combined with theory, indicate that the improved efficiency originates from phonon effects. These results are expected to apply to other classes of semiconductor nanomaterials.

2,557 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
25 Jan 2007-Nature
TL;DR: A 160,000-bit molecular electronic memory circuit, fabricated at a density of 1011 bits cm-2 (pitch 33 nm; memory cell size 0.0011 μm2), that is, roughly analogous to the dimensions of a DRAM circuit projected to be available by 2020.
Abstract: The primary metric for gauging progress in the various semiconductor integrated circuit technologies is the spacing, or pitch, between the most closely spaced wires within a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) circuit. Modern DRAM circuits have 140 nm pitch wires and a memory cell size of 0.0408 mum(2). Improving integrated circuit technology will require that these dimensions decrease over time. However, at present a large fraction of the patterning and materials requirements that we expect to need for the construction of new integrated circuit technologies in 2013 have 'no known solution'. Promising ingredients for advances in integrated circuit technology are nanowires, molecular electronics and defect-tolerant architectures, as demonstrated by reports of single devices and small circuits. Methods of extending these approaches to large-scale, high-density circuitry are largely undeveloped. Here we describe a 160,000-bit molecular electronic memory circuit, fabricated at a density of 10(11) bits cm(-2) (pitch 33 nm; memory cell size 0.0011 microm2), that is, roughly analogous to the dimensions of a DRAM circuit projected to be available by 2020. A monolayer of bistable, [2]rotaxane molecules served as the data storage elements. Although the circuit has large numbers of defects, those defects could be readily identified through electronic testing and isolated using software coding. The working bits were then configured to form a fully functional random access memory circuit for storing and retrieving information.

1,116 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
04 Apr 2003-Science
TL;DR: A general method for producing ultrahigh-density arrays of aligned metal and semiconductor nanowires and nanowire circuits based on translating thin film growth thickness control into planar wire arrays is described.
Abstract: We describe a general method for producing ultrahigh-density arrays of aligned metal and semiconductor nanowires and nanowire circuits. The technique is based on translating thin film growth thickness control into planar wire arrays. Nanowires were fabricated with diameters and pitches (center-to-center distances) as small as 8 nanometers and 16 nanometers, respectively. The nanowires have high aspect ratios (up to 106), and the process can be carried out multiple times to produce simple circuits of crossed nanowires with a nanowire junction density in excess of 1011 per square centimeter. The nanowires can also be used in nanomechanical devices; a high-frequency nanomechanical resonator is demonstrated.

950 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is observed that highly dense Si/TiO(2) core/shell nanowire arrays enhanced the photocurrent by 2.5 times compared to planar Si/ TiO( 2) structure due to their low reflectance and high surface area.
Abstract: There are currently great needs to develop low-cost inorganic materials that can efficiently perform solar water splitting as photoelectrolysis of water into hydrogen and oxygen has significant potential to provide clean energy. We investigate the Si/TiO2 nanowire heterostructures to determine their potential for the photooxidation of water. We observed that highly dense Si/TiO2 core/shell nanowire arrays enhanced the photocurrent by 2.5 times compared to planar Si/TiO2 structure due to their low reflectance and high surface area. We also showed that n-Si/n-TiO2 nanowire arrays exhibited a larger photocurrent and open circuit voltage than p-Si/n-TiO2 nanowires due to a barrier at the heterojunction.

521 citations


Cited by
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28 Jul 2005
TL;DR: PfPMP1)与感染红细胞、树突状组胞以及胎盘的单个或多个受体作用,在黏附及免疫逃避中起关键的作�ly.
Abstract: 抗原变异可使得多种致病微生物易于逃避宿主免疫应答。表达在感染红细胞表面的恶性疟原虫红细胞表面蛋白1(PfPMP1)与感染红细胞、内皮细胞、树突状细胞以及胎盘的单个或多个受体作用,在黏附及免疫逃避中起关键的作用。每个单倍体基因组var基因家族编码约60种成员,通过启动转录不同的var基因变异体为抗原变异提供了分子基础。

18,940 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A new era of complex thermoelectric materials is approaching because of modern synthesis and characterization techniques, particularly for nanoscale materials, and the strategies used to improve the thermopower and reduce the thermal conductivity are reviewed.
Abstract: Thermoelectric materials, which can generate electricity from waste heat or be used as solid-state Peltier coolers, could play an important role in a global sustainable energy solution. Such a development is contingent on identifying materials with higher thermoelectric efficiency than available at present, which is a challenge owing to the conflicting combination of material traits that are required. Nevertheless, because of modern synthesis and characterization techniques, particularly for nanoscale materials, a new era of complex thermoelectric materials is approaching. We review recent advances in the field, highlighting the strategies used to improve the thermopower and reduce the thermal conductivity.

8,999 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
12 Sep 2008-Science
TL;DR: Thermoelectric materials are solid-state energy converters whose combination of thermal, electrical, and semiconductor properties allows them to be used to convert waste heat into electricity or electrical power directly into cooling and heating.
Abstract: Thermoelectric materials are solid-state energy converters whose combination of thermal, electrical, and semiconducting properties allows them to be used to convert waste heat into electricity or electrical power directly into cooling and heating. These materials can be competitive with fluid-based systems, such as two-phase air-conditioning compressors or heat pumps, or used in smaller-scale applications such as in automobile seats, night-vision systems, and electrical-enclosure cooling. More widespread use of thermoelectrics requires not only improving the intrinsic energy-conversion efficiency of the materials but also implementing recent advancements in system architecture. These principles are illustrated with several proven and potential applications of thermoelectrics.

4,700 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
Xiaolin Li1, Xinran Wang1, Li Zhang1, Sangwon Lee1, Hongjie Dai1 
29 Feb 2008-Science
TL;DR: A chemical route to produce graphene nanoribbons with width below 10 nanometers was developed, as well as single ribbons with varying widths along their lengths or containing lattice-defined graphene junctions for potential molecular electronics.
Abstract: We developed a chemical route to produce graphene nanoribbons (GNR) with width below 10 nanometers, as well as single ribbons with varying widths along their lengths or containing lattice-defined graphene junctions for potential molecular electronics. The GNRs were solution-phase-derived, stably suspended in solvents with noncovalent polymer functionalization, and exhibited ultrasmooth edges with possibly well-defined zigzag or armchair-edge structures. Electrical transport experiments showed that, unlike single-walled carbon nanotubes, all of the sub-10-nanometer GNRs produced were semiconductors and afforded graphene field effect transistors with on-off ratios of about 10(7) at room temperature.

4,579 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A coarse-grained classification into primarily thermal, electrical or ion-migration-induced switching mechanisms into metal-insulator-metal systems, and a brief look into molecular switching systems is taken.
Abstract: Many metal–insulator–metal systems show electrically induced resistive switching effects and have therefore been proposed as the basis for future non-volatile memories. They combine the advantages of Flash and DRAM (dynamic random access memories) while avoiding their drawbacks, and they might be highly scalable. Here we propose a coarse-grained classification into primarily thermal, electrical or ion-migration-induced switching mechanisms. The ion-migration effects are coupled to redox processes which cause the change in resistance. They are subdivided into cation-migration cells, based on the electrochemical growth and dissolution of metallic filaments, and anion-migration cells, typically realized with transition metal oxides as the insulator, in which electronically conducting paths of sub-oxides are formed and removed by local redox processes. From this insight, we take a brief look into molecular switching systems. Finally, we discuss chip architecture and scaling issues.

4,547 citations