Method of producing nanoparticles, nanoparticles, and lithium battery comprising electrode comprising the nanoparticles

Nanoparticles having an average size of about 5.85 nm to about 250 nm, wherein each nanoparticle comprises a core formed of Q2 and a shell represented by Formula 2 covering the core:

• Q2-Yb <Formula 2>
• where Q2 is selected from the group consisting of Si, Ti, B, Sb, Pb and Ge;
• Y is;
• and
• b is a real number in the range of about 0.01 to about 4.

A method of producing nanoparticles, the method comprising:

• evacuating a reaction chamber to form a vacuum state therein, wherein the reaction chamber includes a division member that is grounded and divides the reaction chamber into a nanoparticle forming region and a nanoparticle housing region that includes a nanoparticle housing device;
• supplying a first process gas and an atmospheric gas into the reaction chamber that is in the vacuum state;
• maintaining the pressure of the reaction chamber so that the supplied first process gas and atmospheric gas are continuously present in a steady state in the reaction chamber;
• generating a plasma in the reaction chamber while supplying a second process gas in a pulsed manner such that nanoparticles are formed in the nanoparticle forming region;
• and
• collecting the formed nanoparticles on the nanoparticle housing device in the nanoparticle housing region of the reaction chamber,
• wherein the pulsed manner has a time period in which the second process gas is not supplied.

A method of producing nanoparticles, the method comprising:

• providing an apparatus to produce nanoparticles, wherein the apparatus comprises:
• a reaction chamber comprising:
• a gas inlet,
• a nanoparticle housing device, and
• a division member that is grounded and divides the reaction chamber into a nanoparticle forming region and a nanoparticle housing region;
• a gas supply unit that supplies a first process gas, a second process gas and an atmospheric gas into the reaction chamber;
• a power source unit that generates plasma in the reaction chamber;
• and
• a flow control unit that evacuates the reaction chamber to form a vacuum state therein and that controls a flow of gas;
• evacuating the reaction chamber to form a vacuum state therein;
• supplying the first process gas and the atmospheric gas into the reaction chamber that is in the vacuum state;
• fixing the pressure of the reaction chamber so that the supplied first process gas and atmospheric gas are continuously present in a steady state in the reaction chamber;
• forming nanoparticles by generating a plasma in the reaction chamber and supplying a second process gas in a pulsed manner;
• and
• collecting the formed nanoparticles in the nanoparticle housing region of the reaction chamber, wherein:
• plasma is generated in the nanoparticle forming region of the reaction chamber in a continuous manner, and nanoparticles formed in the nanoparticle forming region are transferred to the nanoparticle housing region of the reaction chamber due to a force of the second process gas supplied in the pulsed manner, and
• the second process gas is supplied in the pulsed manner at a flow rate that is at least about 5 to 10 times the flow rate of the first process gas.