Halometallate ligand-capped semiconductor nanocrystals
AssigneeThe University of Chicago
InventorsJames Kurley, Hao Zhang, Dmitri V. Talapin, Jake Russell, Margaret Hervey Hudson
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Abstract
Halometallate-capped semiconductor nanocrystals and methods for making the halometallate-capped semiconductor nanocrystals are provided. Also provided are methods of using solutions of the halometallate-capped semiconductor nanocrystals as precursors for semiconductor film formation. When solutions of the halometallate ligand-capped semiconductor nanocrystals are annealed, the halometallate ligands can act as grain growth promoters during the sintering of the semiconductor nanocrystals.
Claims28
A method of forming a semiconductor film, the method comprising:
- forming a solution of halometallate-capped semiconductor nanocrystals, the halometallate-capped semiconductor nanocrystals comprising:
- semiconductor nanocrystals, each semiconducting nanocrystal having a surface;
- and
- halometallate ligands bound to the surfaces of the semiconductor nanocrystals;
- forming a coating of the solution comprising the halometallate-capped semiconductor nanocrystals on a substrate surface;
- and
- annealing the coating, wherein the nanocrystals are sintered to form the semiconductor film.
A method of forming an optoelectronic device, the method comprising:
- forming a solution of halometallate-capped semiconductor nanocrystals, the halometallate-capped semiconductor nanocrystals comprising:
- semiconductor nanocrystals, each semiconducting nanocrystal having a surface;
- and
- halometallate ligands bound to the surfaces of the semiconductor nanocrystals;
- forming a coating of the solution comprising the halometallate-capped semiconductor nanocrystals on a surface of a first electrode;
- annealing the coating, wherein the semiconductor nanocrystals are sintered to form a photoactive, light-absorbing semiconductor film;
- forming a layer of charge transporting material over the photoactive, light-absorbing semiconductor film;
- and
- forming a second electrode on the layer of charge transporting material.
A method of forming a field effect transistor, the method comprising:
- forming a solution of halometallate-capped semiconductor nanocrystals, the halometallate-capped semiconductor nanocrystals comprising:
- semiconductor nanocrystals, each semiconducting nanocrystal having a surface;
- and
- halometallate ligands bound to the surfaces of the semiconductor nanocrystals;
- forming a coating of the solution comprising the halometallate-capped semiconductor nanocrystals on a surface of a gate dielectric layer;
- annealing the coating, wherein the semiconductor nanocrystals are sintered to form a semiconductor film that provides a conducting channel layer for the field effect transistor;
- forming a source electrode on the semiconductor film;
- forming a drain electrode on the semiconductor film;
- and
- forming a gate electrode on the gate dielectric layer.
Halometallate-capped Group II-VI nanocrystals comprising:
- Group II-VI nanocrystals selected from the group consisting of CdTe nanocrystals, HgSe nanocrystals, HgTe nanocrystals, HgS nanocrystals, HgxCd1-xTe nanocrystals, HgxCd1-xS nanocrystals, HgxCd1-xSe nanocrystals, CdxZn1-xTe nanocrystals, CdxZn1-xSe nanocrystals, CdxZn1-xS nanocrystals, ZnS nanocrystals, ZnSe nanocrystals, ZnTe nanocrystals, or mixtures of two or more thereof, where 0<x<1, each nanocrystals having a surface;
- and
- halometallate ligands bound to the surfaces of the Group II-VI nanocrystals, wherein the halometallate ligands are anions having one of the formulas MX3−, MX4−, and MX42 −, where M is an element selected from group 12 of the periodic table and X is a halide atom.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.