Quantum dot crystals

Figure 10.9. (a) Schematic structure of a silicon quantum dot crystal and (b) its calculated electronic structure as a function of interparticle distance H. The size of the nanoparticles is L = 6.5 nm. At small H, a splitting of the quantized energy levels of single dots results in the formation of three-dimensional minibands. Reproduced from Ref. 64, Copyright 2001, with permission from the American Institute of Physics. 

Charge transport through an array of semiconductor nanocrystals is strongly affected by the electronic structure of nanocrystal surfaces. It is possible to control the type of conductivity and doping level of quantum dot crystals by adsorbing/desorbing molecular species at the nanocrystal surface. As an... 

The method of templated self assembly has been recently successfully implemented for the growth of ordered arrays of InAs as well as Ge islands in 2-and 3-dimensional arrays and quantum dot crystals [1] by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The quantum dot arrays fabricated by templated self-assembly exhibit narrow size distributions and perfect ordering [2]. Thus, this technology enables fabrication of nanodevices requiring exact positioning of quantum dots [3] and offers a suitable path for the demonstration of spintronics and manipulation of qubits [4]. 

Toyoda T, Kobayashi J, Shen Q (2008) Correlation between crystal growth and photosensitization of nanostructured HO2 electrodes using supporting H substrates by self-assembled CdSe quantum dots. Thin SoUd Films 516 2426-2431... 

In the 1980s, CdSe quantum dots vere prepared by top-dovm techniques such as lithography ho vever, size variations, crystal defects, poor reproducibility, and poor optical properties of quantum dots made them inadequate for advanced applications. Introduction of bottom-up colloidal synthesis of CdSe quantum dots by Murray et al. [3] and its further advancements brought radical changes in the properties of quantum dots and their applications in devices and biology. The colloidal syntheses of CdSe quantum dots are broadly classified into organic-phase synthesis and aqueous-phase synthesis. 

Chemists have synthesized a spectacular array of submicron- and nano-particles with well-defined size and atomic structure and very special properties. Examples include CdSe quantum dots and novel spheres and rods. Transport enters the picture via fundamental studies of the physical processes that affect the synthesis, which must be understood for even modest scale-up from the milligram level. Likewise, processes for assembling fascinating face-centered-cubic crystals or ordered multilayers must concentrate on organizing the particles via flow, diffusion, or action of external fields. Near-perfection is possible but requires careful understanding and control of the forces and the rates. 

SILAR has been used for the synthesis of CdS/ZnS coatings for CdSe quantum dots. The precursor solutions were prepared by dissolving CdO, ZnO, and S in oleic acid and octadecane. The final coating consisted of three layers of CdS and three additional layers of ZnS. The photonic band structure of the photonic crystal had a modifying influence on the photoluminescence of the embedded quantum dots.90... 

Fleischhaker, E Zentel, R. 2005. Photonic crystals from core-shell colloids with incorporated highly fluorescent quantum dots. Chem. Mater. 17 1346-1351. 

Yoshie, T. Shchekin, O. B. Chen, H. Deppe, D. G. Scherer, A., Planar photonic crystal nanolasers (II) Low threshold quantum dot lasers, IEICE Trans. Electron. 2004, E87-C, 300 307... 

Fig. 17.10 Schafer et al.14 have observed single mode lasing from core shell CdSe/ZnS nano crystal quantum dots in a glycerine water mixture. The fluorescence spectrum (black line) showed clear peaks of WGM and single mode lasing (grey line) was observed for sufficiently small droplets ( 10 pm) and high pump laser intensities (53 mJ crrT2 in 10 ns pulses at 532 nm). Insert shows the droplet trapped between the electrodes. Reprinted from Ref. 14 with permission. 2008 American Chemical Society...

The reaction of toluene solutions of indium trichloride and tris(trimethylsilyl)arsine resulted in the formation of a very fine dark-brown powder subsequently annealed up to 400°C to drive to completion the elimination of trimethyl-silyl-chloride. Nanocrystalline InAs was obtained. Similar reactions with InBr3 and Inl3 and P compounds have been discussed. Previously a similar reaction was described by Uchida et al. (1993) (reaction of indium acetylacetonate with tris(trimethylsilyl)arsine in refluxing triglyme). Subsequently the reaction with InCl3 was used by Guzelian et al. (1996) in the preparation of nano-crystal quantum dots. They compared different preparation methods and techniques useful to isolate specific size distributions. 

Quality assurance Quartz crystal microbalance Quantum dot Quadrupole ion trap... 

As a crystal of a semiconductor becomes smaller, fewer atomic orbitals are available to contribute to the bands. The orbitals are removed from each of the band edges (cf. Chapter 4, Figure 4.6) until, at a point when the crystal is very small—a dot —the bands are no longer a continuum of orbitals, but individual quantised orbital energy levels (Figure 11.2(b)), thus the name quantum dots. At the same... 

Considerable practical difficulties arise in making quantum dots of a regular size and shape, and in preventing the dots, once made, from coalescing into a larger crystal. CdSe quantum dots are currently made by dissolving selenium and dimethylcadmium ((CH3)2Cd) in hot trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO), from whence large quantities of CdSe... 

The effective masses of electrons (md) and holes (m ) represent the masses that these charges appear to have when moving in the solid rather than in free space, and these vary from material to material. (In the size quantized regime, they can also vary with crystal size, particularly for small quantum dots, hence the limitations of the effective mass model). 

There are two very broad, general conclusions resulting from the above review. The first is that MoS2-type nanoparticles are very different than other types of semiconductor nanoparticles. Nanoparticles of several different types of semiconductors, such as CdSe, CdS, and InP, have been extensively studied. Experimental and theoretical studies have elucidated much of their spectroscopy, photophysics, and dynamics. The results reviewed above are, in many places, in sharp contrast with those obtained on other types of quantum dots. This does not come as a surprise. The properties of the bulk semiconductor are reflected in those of the nanoparticle, and properties of layered semiconductors are vastly different from those of semiconductors having three-dimensional crystal structures. Although the electronic and spectroscopic properties of nanoparticles are strongly influenced by quantum confinement effects, the differences in the semiconductors cause there to be few generalizations about semiconductor quantum dots that can be made. 

Zeolites provide a novel host for the generation of semiconductor hyperlattices within their pore volume. The control of the connectivity between the clusters of semiconductor is unparalleled in any other host medium and so has allowed a detailed study of the optical consequences of such connectivity6. However, from the practical standpoint, such materials have some severe drawbacks - most notably the lack of single crystals of sufficient size to produce viable optical devices such as optical transistors or spatial light modulators. We have therefore moved on to look at more practical/processable quantum-dot materials such as semiconductor-doped porous glasses. 

Quantum dots used in liquid crystal systems (ranging in size from a few to tens of nanometers) are usually from the II-VI group, and include CdS, CdSe, and CdTe capped with trioctylphosphine/trioctylphosphine oxide (TOP/TOPO) [101-103], CdS as well as CdTe stabilized with thiols [104], and CdSe protected with amines [105]. 

A major concern for the use of these quantum dots in liquid crystal applications is their stability. Weller et al. using NMR spectroscopy, UV-vis spectrophotometry, and analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) showed that thiol-stabilized cadmium chalcogenide quantum dots are unstable at low particle concentrations (<10 pM in DMF), i.e., even the covalently bound thiols desorb from the quantum dot surface... 

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