Quantum dots, and silicon herald new functionality

Photoluminescence of silicon quantum dots in nanospheres.

Si quantum dots (SiQDs) based nanospheres (SiNSs) were prepared via a novel synthetic strategy. These SiNSs were demonstrated to possess unique dot spacing dependent photoluminescence (PL) up-conversion and surface dependent (N modified surface) down-converted PL. It was demonstrated that a small distance between SiQDs (<5 nm) is the necessary condition for the PL up-conversion of SiNSs, while ...

Silicon quantum dots: fine-tuning to maturity.

Quantum dots in semiconductor heterostructures provide one of the most flexible platforms for the study of quantum phenomena at the nanoscale. The surging interest in using quantum dots for quantum computation is forcing researchers to rethink fabrication and operation methods, to obtain highly tunable dots in spin-free host materials, such as silicon. Borselli and colleagues report in Nanotech...

Silicon Quantum Dots for Photovoltaics: A Review

Controlling size and shape of materials on the nanoscale allows to engineer their physical properties. Indeed nanomaterials offer unique opportunities in engineering, microelectronics, life-science, and renewable energies. Conversion of sunlight to electricity is assumed to be of major importance for the supply of electrical energy for future generations. The actual photovoltaic market is domin...

Electrochemistry and electrogenerated chemiluminescence from silicon nanocrystal quantum dots.

Reversible electrochemical injection of discrete numbers of electrons into sterically stabilized silicon nanocrystals (NCs) (approximately 2 to 4 nanometers in diameter) was observed by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) in N,N'-dimethylformamide and acetonitrile. The electrochemical gap between the onset of electron injection and hole injection-related to the highest occupied and lowest unoc...

Silicon Quantum Dots Grown by Ion Implantation and Annealing