Abstract: A method of drawing a glass clad wire is provided herein, the method comprising: (i) sealing off one end of a glass tube such that the tube has an open end and a closed end; (ii) introducing a wire material inside the glass tube; (iii) heating a portion of the glass tube such that the glass partially melts to form a first ampoule containing the wire material to be used in a drawing operation; (iv) introducing the first ampoule containing the wire material into a heating device; (v) increasing the temperature within the heating device such that the glass tube is heated enough for it to be drawn and wire material melts; and (vi) drawing the glass clad wire comprising a continuous wire of wire material, wherein the wire material is a metal, semi-metal, alloy, or semiconductor thermoelectrically active material, and wherein the wire diameter is equal to or smaller than about 5 ?m.

Abstract: A method of drawing a glass clad wire is provided herein, the method comprising: (i) sealing off one end of a glass tube such that the tube has an open end and a closed end; (ii) introducing a wire material inside the glass tube; (iii) heating a portion of the glass tube such that the glass partially melts to form a first ampoule containing the wire material to be used in a drawing operation; (iv) introducing the first ampoule containing the wire material into a heating device; (v) increasing the temperature within the heating device such that the glass tube is heated enough for it to be drawn and wire material melts; and (vi) drawing the glass clad wire comprising a continuous wire of wire material, wherein the wire material is a metal, semi-metal, alloy, or semiconductor thermoelectrically active material, and wherein the wire diameter is equal to or smaller than about 5 ?m.

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

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of drawing nanowires, comprising sealing off one end of a glass tube such that the tube has an open end and a closed end, introducing a nanowire material inside the glass tube and evacuating the tube by attaching the open end to a vacuum pump, heating a portion of the glass tube such that the glass partially melts under the vacuum such that the partially melted glass tube provides an ampoule containing the nanowire material to be used in a first drawing operation, introducing the ampoule containing the nanowire material into a heating device, increasing the temperature within the heating device such that the glass tube melts just enough for it to be drawn and drawing fibers of glass clad nanowire material. The invention further provides a method for bunching together such fibers and redrawing them one or more times to produce arrays of nanowires clad in glass.