Scaleable High-Yield Plasma Production of Functionalized Semiconductor Nanocrystals

该基金的研究重点是开发一种可扩展的高产气相工艺，用于制造表面钝化或功能化的硅纳米晶体，以获得其发光特性。 该方法将基于非热等离子体合成纳米晶体。 将进行研究，使纳米晶体的合成比目前可能的更小，以实现硅纳米发光，跨越整个可见光谱范围。 要采取的方法将包括减少团聚，避免颗粒融合，并可能气相飞行蚀刻较大的颗粒。 该补助金的第二个重点是开发气相方法，用于无机层的表面钝化，以保护它们免受环境攻击，以及通过有机单层的自组装实现表面功能化。 这两方面的努力将汇聚成一个高通量的发展，气相发光硅晶体的过程。在此授权下开发的工艺可能使硅纳米晶体的光电应用范围广泛。 这些纳米晶体被广泛研究用于基于纳米颗粒的太阳能电池中的应用，作为更节能的固态光源中的初级发光体或磷光体，以及作为用于通信目的的光电器件中的发光体。 与许多其他量子点材料相比，这些材料可能具有优异的光学性能，但含有有毒的重金属，硅被称为无毒和环境友好的材料。 大规模集成硅纳米晶合成和表面钝化工艺的开发计划将使硅纳米晶技术的广泛应用成为可能。 这笔赠款的一个强有力的工业推广部分将确保工业界迅速采用研究成果。

Research under this grant focuses on developing a scalable high-yield, gas-phase process for creating surface-passivated or functionalized silicon nanocrystals for their luminescent properties. The approach will be based on a nonthermal plasma for the synthesis of nanocrystals. Studies will be performed to enable the synthesis of nanocrystals that are smaller than currently possible in order to achieve silicon nanocrystal luminescence that spans the entire range of the visible spectrum. Approaches to be pursued will include reducing agglomeration, avoiding particle fusion, and possibly gas-phase in-flight etching of larger particles. The second thrust of this grant is the development of gas-phase methods for surface passivation with inorganic layers in order to protect them from environmental attack, and surface functionalization through self-assembly of organic monolayers. Both efforts will converge into the development of a high-throughput, gas-phase process for luminescent silicon crystals. The process to be developed under this grant may enable a wide range of optoelectronic applications of silicon nanocrystals. These nanocrystals are widely studied for applications in nanoparticle-based solar cells, as primary light emitters or phosphors in more energy-efficient solid state light sources, and as light emitters in optoelectronic devices for communication purposes. Compared to many other quantum dot materials, which may have excellent optical properties but contain toxic heavy metals, silicon is known as a non-toxic and environmentally benign material. The planned development of a large-scale integrated synthesis and surface passivation process for silicon nanocrystals will enable wide-spread application of silicon nanocrystal technology. A strong industrial outreach component of this grant will assure rapid adoption of research findings by industry.