Development of Indium Antimonide Quantum Dots via Novel Precursors

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The possibilities of infrared imaging in allowing us to see what's invisible to the naked eye are far-reaching, with applications in the consumer, industrial and defence sectors. Quantum dots (QDs), nanoparticles around 1/1000th the width of a human hair, are set to revolutionise the image sensing industry in the coming years, enabling increased efficiency over current silicon photodetectors and spectral tunability into the short-wavelength infrared (SWIR), at a lower cost than InGaAs. With products set to reach the market in 2023, utilising lead-based QDs, sensor manufacturers are already looking towards the next generation of materials to enhance this technology. Indium antimonide (InSb) may offer a heavy metal-free alternative, with exceptionally high carrier mobility and the possibility to extend the detection range into the medium-wavelength infrared (MWIR) to provide a safer alternative to alternative materials, such as lead selenide (PbSe) or mercury telluride (HgTe). However, thus far, scalable methods to synthesise high quality InSb QDs have been hampered by the lack of availability of suitable antimony precursors.Nanoco Technologies Limited (Nanoco) is a world leader in the synthesis and scale-up of QDs and other nanoparticles, having pioneered the development of cadmium-free QDs using its patented "molecular seeding" technology. Nanoco is working with a number of partners in the image sensor field to tailor its materials for their applications. Building on from Nanoco's experience in developing innovative approaches towards QD synthesis, the aim of the project is to develop three different types of novel antimony precursors, then explore their use to synthesise InSb QDs, with the most successful route being scaled to demonstrate proof-of-concept of the technology. The project innovation will be showcased to customers in the sensor field, for rapid integration and deployment into commercial products.Potential applications of the project are wide ranging, from machine vision for sorting and quality control, to health monitoring using mobile devices, facial recognition, and sensors for future autonomous vehicles, facilitating positive impacts on the environment, health and security.