Method for the production of semiconductor quantum particles

Abstract

A method for producing compound semiconductor quantum particles from at least a metallic element selected from Groups IIA, IIB, IIIA, IVA, and VA of the Periodic Table and at least a non-oxygen reactant element selected from the group consisting of P, As, S, Se, and Te. The method includes: (a) operating a heating and atomizing means to provide a stream of super-heated fine-sized fluid droplets of a selected metallic element into a reaction chamber; (b) directing a stream of a reactant element-containing fluid medium into the chamber to impinge upon and react with the super-heated metal fluid droplets to form substantially nanometer-sized phosphide, arsenide, sulfide, selenide, and/or telluride compound particles; and (c) cooling and/or passivating the compound particles to form the desired compound semiconductor quantum particles. These quantum particles are particularly useful for photo luminescence and biological labeling applications.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.