The performance of thermoelectric generation has long since been limited by the fact that it depends on hardly tunable intrinsic materials properties. At the heart of this problem lies a trade-off between sufficient Seebeck coefficient, good electrical properties and suitably low thermal conductivity. The two last being closely related by the ambivalent role of electrons in the conduction of both electrical and thermal currents. Current research focuses on materials composition and structural properties in order to improve this trade-off also known as the figure of merit (zT). Recently, evidences aroused that nanoscale structuration (nanowires, quantum dots, thin-films) can improve zT by means of electron and/or phonon confinement. The aim of this project is to tackle the intrinsic reasons for this low efficiency and bring TE conversion to efficiencies above 10% by exploring two unconventional and complementary approaches: Phononic Engineering Conversion consists of modulating thermal properties by means of a periodic, precisely designed, arrangement of inclusions on a length scale that compares to phonon means free path. This process is unlocked by state of the art lithography techniques. In its principles, phononic engineering offers an opportunity to tailor the phonon density of states as well as to artificially introduce thermal anisotropy in a semiconductor membrane. Suitable converter architecture is proposed that takes advantage of conductivity reduction and anisotropy to guide and converter heat flow. This approach is fully compatible with standard silicon technologies and is potentially applicable to conformable converters. The Micro Thermionic Conversion relies on low work function materials and micron scale vacuum gaps to collect a thermally activated current across a virtually zero heat conduction device. This approach, though more risky, envisions devices with equivalent zT around 10 which is far above what can be expected from solid state conversion.

The newly established Materials Science and Nanotechnology Institute (UNAM) is the first national research institute of Turkey in the area of atomic scale materials and nanotechnology. UNAM is growing as a major research facility equipped with all necessary research infrastructure and advanced research tools to carry out forefront R&D activities. This advanced research facility is available to the researchers of all other institutions. As a centre of excellence, UNAM is expected to provide scientific advising for the state of the art research problems in nanotechnology. Through this project, the Institute can rapidly reach its full potential for research and technological innovation and emerge as an internationally competitive center, integrated firmly into the European Research Area. UNAM is recently established; despite wide recognition within Turkey, so far our exposure to the European scientific community has been limited. We strongly desire to improve this and develop connections to and collaborations with European laboratories, university groups and research institutes through mechanisms to be established in this project. However, UNAM currently suffers from a bottleneck in funding of travel, conference organization. In addition, UNAM needs to increase its PhD staff through postdoctoral and research scientist positions, since full faculty positions through the university are very limited. There is need for a number of trained personnel in high-technology equipment relevant to nanotech in Turkey, such TEM, FIB, lithography equipment. The proposed project will allow UNAM administration to offer internationally competitive salaries for young Turkish scientists receiving doctorates every year in the USA, reversing the brain drain, as well as young European scientists with technical expertise. The proposed project will be critical in overcoming all of these difficulties.

Deficiency of natural energy resources on Earth makes advanced energy management a challenge. Efforts are taken to harness cheap, inexhaustible, eco-friendly renewable sources of energy. Among these, thermoelectric (TE) conversion is a promising principle. Best materials for TE application are non-conventional heavily doped semiconductors. In particular, high temperature stable silicides (higher manganese silicides = HMS, CrSi2 and others) represent suitable candidates for demanded TE applications operable at high temperature. A main aim of TE materials development is to improve the figure of merit ZT, which essentially depends on the energy band structure and scattering of carriers and phonons in the material. It is planned to investigate qualitatively the transport behaviour of HMS compacted from nano-sized powders, to optimize its properties by chemical synthesis, and to reach a reduction of the thermal conductivity in nano-crystalline material. Starting from the synthesis of nano-powders by melting and ball milling, forming of a nano-structure with suitable scaling will be optimized by a rapid hot pressing technology. CrSi2 and other high temperature silicides will be optimized in a similar way for high electrical and thermal conductivity. They shall be applied as contacting materials and interlayers, ending up to advanced materials and technology procedures for high temperature thermogenerators. Materials will be characterized by XRD, SEAD (structure), TEM, SEM (morphology), EDAX (analysis). Having achieved the targeted nano-structure, the TE properties will be measured in dependence on temperature for optimising the application-relevant material parameters. The performance of thermogenerator devices based on the new solutions will be tested by unique measuring techniques of the host. The fellow will deepen his knowledge and experience on TE materials and thermogenerator technology for high temperature and is expected to develop superior contacting methods.

I will systematically exploit the quantum properties in Group-IV Materials (GFMs) at the atomic scale, by using top-down patterning processes developed for Si technologies. Among GFMs, I will examine graphene, Si, and Ge nano-structures, since these materials are technologically important. More specifically, I will use our He-Ion-Microscope (HIM) milling techniques to fabricate nano-structures beyond the resolution limit of conventional lithography. This research will: 1. Characterize Freestanding Mono-layer or thin-layer of GFMs I will fabricate the freestanding device structure by HIM. The high-resolution of HIM will enable me to fabricate the graphene nano-ribbon as narrow as 5-nm. I will also examine the atomic structures of the device by Transmission-Electron-Microscope (TEM), and compare it with electrical measurements. The similar devices can be made for ultra-thin Si films. 2. In-situ formation and characterization of Si Quantum Dot (QD) I will characterize the Si Single-Electron-Transistor with a QD by in-situ monitoring in HIM. 3. Characterization of SiGe Fins I will characterize SiGe Fin for high performance electro-absorption optical modulator applications. Impacts of the projects to EU are expected as following ways: 1. I will contribute in the interdisciplinary research areas with my strong research background in theoretical physics, nano-electronics, and Si Photonics. 2. The long-term research activities to QIP will be continued for secure communication and massive commutation, beyond the limit of the classical computations. 3. I will transfer my research experience from Japan. Especially, the industrial experience in Hitachi is helpful for running the clean room managements. 4. I will explore the innovative opportunities for sustainable electronics, in which EU communities play the important contributions towards the matured smart society. 5. I would like to establish the various collaboration within EU and internationally.

The ultimate goal of the project is to generate and transfer knowledge on the development of new nanomaterials specifically applicable in novel macro-bacterial sensors for food manufacturing and processing industry. The special structure of nanomaterials gives rise to their amazing properties. The ability to manipulate the structure and composition on the nanoscale provides very large opportunities to create new materials with superior performance for new products and devices. Since the optical properties of nanomaterials can be controlled by changing their size, shape, and aspect ratio, as well as via their surface modification, nanomaterials are prime candidates as building blocks for photonic sensors. The overall objective of this research is to develop the synthesis of ZnO, ZnS and PbS nanostructures with different sizes and morphologies via the laser ablation in liquid technique, then to modify and functionalize the surfaces of the prepared nanostructures and finally to use them for the preparation of photonic sensors with bacteria-detecting properties. Such efficient, easy-to-use and rapid sensors will be evaluated within different food processing, weighing and packaging lines available from project partner. This is an ambitious research programme, with a strong interdisciplinary nature combining materials engineering, surface science, bio-engineering, physics, chemistry and soft matter science. Its success is underpinned by the combination of complementary expertise of the Fellow, Host and Partners in nanomaterial preparation and characterization, photonics and food processing and analysis, respectively. The project will have a positive impact on a longer shelf-life of ready food, monitoring of food manufacturing lines, and optimization of cleaning routine during food manufacturing and packaging. Hence, positive impact on public health sector, as well as economic and ecological effects, is expected.

Space system vendors seek for solutions to deliver small size and cost-effective sensor systems to 'de-congest' satellite payloads, drastically reduce the equipment cost and open the possibility for new generation of micro-payload systems. MERMIG aims to provide this technology replacing current expensive, bulky, heavy and power-consuming fiber optic gyroscopes (FOGs). To address these key challenges, MERMIG invests in the right mix of silicon photonic CMOS-compatible component fabrication and nano-imprint lithography laser fabrication. Both technologies are being adopted by the terrestrial telecom market and MERMIG will develop them for bringing their unique advantages into space sensor systems. MERMIG will squeeze the bulky FOG into a couple of cm2, integrating a racetrack cavity, pin junctions and a phase decoder into compact sub-micron waveguides. The MERMIG 'smart' packaging technique will allow power-efficient optical pumping and hermetic packaging of the gyro-photonic chip. MERMIG will develop the first 1550nm high-power laser with a fiber-coupled power of 150mW using an integrated laser MOPA, fabricated with advanced nano-imprint lithography (NIL). The 150mW delivered will enable a modular architecture, with pump sharing among 3 integrated silicon lasing cavities, for 3-axis sensing. The single-step NIL process enables fast wafer scale patterning and ensures low-cost and high-volume laser production. Finally, MERMIG will bring together photonics and electronics on a fully-functional opto-electronic gyroscope system prototype characterized according to ASTRIUM testplan procedures. MERMIG will deliver to ASTRIUM a new generation gyroscope that will weigh <1kg, consume <5W electrical power in a few cm3 footprint. The angle random walk range that will be feasible within MERMIG is 0.1 -0.01 deg/sqrt(hr) suitable for telecommunications and scientific satellites. The technology full potential can allow for future opto-electronic integration of photonic 'gyroscopes-on-a-chip'.

The ambition of PhotoNvoltaics is to enable the development of a new and disruptive solar cell generation resulting from the marriage of crystalline-silicon photovoltaics (PV) with advanced light-trapping schemes from the field of nanophotonics. These two technologies will be allied through a third one, nanoimprint, an emerging lithography technique from the field of microelectronics. The outcome of this alliance will be a nano-textured thin-film crystalline silicon (c-Si) cell featuring a drastic reduction in silicon consumption and a greater cell and module process simplicity. It will thus ally the sustainability and efficiency of crystalline silicon PV with the simplicity and low cost of the current thin-film solar cells. The challenge behind PhotoNvoltaics lies behind the successful identification and integration of these nano-textures into thin c-Si-based cells, which aim is a record boost of the light-collection efficiency of these cells, without harming their charge-collection efficiency. The goals of this project are scientific and technological. The scientific goal is two-fold: (1) to demonstrate that the so-called Yablonovitch limit of light trapping can be overcome, with specific nanoscale surface structures, periodic, random or pseudo-periodic, and (2) to answer the old question whether random or periodic patterns are best. The technological goal is also two-fold: (1) to fabricate thin c-Si solar cells with the highest current enhancement ever reached and (2) to demonstrate the up-scalability of this concept by fabricating patterns over industrially relevant areas. To reach these goals, PhotoNvoltaics will gather seven partners, expert in all the required fields to model and identify the optimal structures, fabricate them with a large span of techniques, integrate them into solar cells and, finally, assess the conditions of transferability of these novel concepts, that bring nanophotonics into PV, further towards industry.

The proposed project concerns the study of magnetoplasmonic systems, that is nanostructures exhibiting both magneto-optic (MO) properties and surface plasmon resonances (SPRs). Particularly, localized SPRs appearing in magnetic nanostructures will be studied using local probe microscopy techniques. The typical magnetoplasmonic nanostructure is a Noble-Metal/Ferromagnetic-Metal/Noble-Metal trilayer. They can be fabricated either as continuous thin films that are subsequently patterned using lithography and etching, or by lithography, evaporation and lift-off. Nanostructure arrays will be fabricated in various compositions, shapes, separations and symmetries (in particular, colloidal lithography will be used to obtain disordered arrays, whereas e-beam lithography will be used to prepare ordered ones). First, their collective optical and MO behavior will be characterized using far-field measurements. Afterwards, the local electromagnetic near-field distribution at single objects will be imaged using Scanning Near-field Optical Microscopy (SNOM). The local measurements will be correlated to the optical and MO collective measurements. Both optical-fiber SNOM and apertureles SNOM (aSNOM) measurements will be performed. Metal-coated Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) tips will be used for aSNOM. The interest is in performing aSNOM using ferromagnetic-metal-coated AFM tips, thus allowing for Magnetic Force Microscopy (MFM) measurements to be performed simultaneously with SNOM. The illuminated light will excite surface plasmons, and the magnetic component of their electromagnetic field distribution will be imaged using MFM. Magnetoplasmonics research has been pioneered at the host group, and the proposed project is a natural continuation of the so far host activity. Magnetoplasmonics allow for the development of active plasmonic devices (their properties can be tuned with a magnetic field), with applications in photonic nanocircuits and advanced biosensors.

The atomic force microscope (AFM) has become a standard and wide spread instrument for characterizing nanoscale devices and can be found in most of today's research and development areas. The NanoBits project provides exchangeable and customizable scanning probe tips that can be attached to standard AFM cantilevers offering an unprecedented freedom in adapting the shape and size of the tips to the surface topology of the specific application. NanoBits themselves are 2-4 μm long and 120-150 nm thin flakes of heterogeneous materials fabricated in different approaches. These novel tips will allow for characterizing three dimensional high-aspect ratio and sidewall structures of critical dimensions such as nanooptical photonic components and semiconductor architectures which is a bottle-neck in reaching more efficient manufacturing techniques. It is thus an enabling approach for almost all future nanoscale applications. A miniaturized robotic microsystem combining innovative nanosensors and actuators will be used to explore new strategies of micro-nano-integration in order to realize a quick exchange of NanoBits. For the fabrication of the NanoBits, two different techniques are proposed. On the one hand, a standard silicon processing technique enables batch fabrication of various NanoBits designs defined by electron beam lithography. On the other hand, focused ion beam milling can be used to structure a blank of heterogeneous materials, the socalled nembranes. Novel scanning modes in atomic force microscopy will be developed to take full advantage of the different NanoBits geometries and to realize AFM imaging of critical dimension structures. The innovative nanoimaging capabilities will be applied to characterize and develop novel nanooptical photonic structures in the wavelength or even sub-wavelength range and TERS applications in the nanomaterial and biomedical sector. Especially the involved SMEs will exploit and disseminate the results to potential users to realize a more efficient micro-and nanomanufacturing.

The overall objective of the proposed project is the development of novel optoelectronic and photonic devices based on ordered arrays of GaN/AIGAN and InGaN/GaN nanorods. The mechanisms of spontaneous nucleation and growth of such nanorods on Si substrates, under specific experimental conditions, have been recently clarified and understood. However, the realization of true devices relies on the achievement of ordered arrays of nanorods by localization of the epitaxial growth on predetermined preferential sites. This challenging issue would be tackled by controlling the growth of such heterostructures by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PA-MBE) growth on nanomasks and nanopatterned substrates, and by the subsequent processing of the nanodevices arrays. Ordered growth following a predefined pattern is a critical step to allow subsequent applications. Nanomasks and nanopatterning will be achieved by e-beam lithography and dry etching. Three different devices will be developed as demonstrators, namely, arrays of nanophotodetectors in the IR, white light nanoLEDs, and nanocolumnar Solar Cells. It is worth to remark that all these devices are beyond the state-of-the-art and will benefit from the very high and unique crystal quality of nanorods. Other advantages of such nanostructures are a wide absorption surface and the capability to exploit Photonic Crystal effects for light extraction. The objectives of this project, being very ambitious, are perfectly feasible because all devices are based on the same basic structure of nanorod arrays (building block). The project, aside from very relevant scientific aspects, will offer the young researcher a full training program on technological and complementary issues.