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US 5,262,357 AGranted
Low temperature thin films formed from nanocrystal precursors
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsA. Paul Alivisatos, Avery N. Goldstein
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Abstract
Nanocrystals of semiconductor compounds are produced. When they are applied as a contiguous layer onto a substrate and heated they fuse into a continuous layer at temperatures as much as 250, 500, 750 or even 1000.degree. K below their bulk melting point. This allows continuous semiconductor films in the 0.25 to 25 nm thickness range to be formed with minimal thermal exposure.
Claims7
A process for forming a solid continuous thin film of a semiconductor material on a solid support surface comprising the steps of
- (a) depositing on the solid support surface a thin contiguous layer of nanocrystals of the semiconductor material,
- (b) exposing the nanocrystals to a temperature which is not greater than 250.degree. K below the bulk melting point of the semiconductor material, which temperature nonetheless is adequate to melt the nanocrystals and cause them to fuse into a continuous thin film, and
- (c) cooling the continuous thin film to yield a solid continuous thin film.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.