Manufacturing method for semiconductor quantum particles

• US 20030106488A1
• Filed: 12/10/2001
• Published: 06/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lulu Song, Wen-Chiang Huang
• Original Assignee: Lulu Song, Wen-Chiang Huang
• Inventors: Song, Lulu, Huang, Wen-Chiang
• Application Number:
  US10/007,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20030106488A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 117/68
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 19/007 Tellurides or selenides of metals C01B19/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 11/02 Sulfides
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 21/21 Sulfides
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 9/08 Sulfides
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/64 Nanometer sized, i.e. from 1-100 nanometer
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/40 AIIIBV compounds wherein A is B, Al, Ga, In or Tl and B is N, P, As, Sb or Bi
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/48 AIIBVI compounds wherein A is Zn, Cd or Hg, and B is S, Se or Te
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/605 Products containing multiple oriented crystallites, e.g. columnar crystallites
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 7/00 Single-crystal growth from solutions using solvents which are liquid at normal temperature, e.g. aqueous solutions from molten solvents C30B9/00; by normal or gradient freezing C30B11/00; under a protective fluid C30B27/00

Abstract

A method for producing compound semiconductor quantum particles from at least a metallic element selected from Groups IB, 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 the steps of: (a) mixing a first precursor composition containing at least a metallic element with a second precursor composition containing at least a reactant element to form a reacting fluid in which nanometer-size compound semiconductor clusters are precipitated out of a liquid medium; (b) operating an atomizer to a break up the reacting fluid into micron- or nanometer-size fluid droplets with each fluid droplet containing a predetermined, but small number of nanometer-size compound semiconductor clusters dispersed in the liquid medium for the purpose of constraining the growth of the clusters; (c) directing the fluid droplets into a material treatment stage to further separate and/or passivate the clusters to form the desired compound semiconductor quantum particles; and (d) drying and collecting the quantum particles in a solid powder form.

Claims

1. A method for producing compound semiconductor quantum particles from at least a metallic element selected from Groups IB, 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, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) mixing a first precursor composition comprising said at least a metallic element with a second precursor composition comprising said at least a reactant element to form a reacting fluid comprising nanometer-size compound semiconductor clusters being precipitated out of a liquid medium;

(b) operating an atomizer means to a break up said reacting fluid into micron- or nanometer-size fluid droplets, each said fluid droplet containing a predetermined, but small number of said nanometer-size compound semiconductor clusters dispersed in said liquid medium for the purpose of constraining the growth of said clusters;

(c) directing said fluid droplets into a material treatment means to further separate and/or passivate said clusters to form said compound semiconductor quantum particles; and

(d) drying and collecting said quantum particles.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said compound semiconductor quantum particles comprise particles of phosphide, arsenide, sulfide, selenide, and/or telluride.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said atomizer means comprises a vortex atomizer and/or ultrasonic atomizer.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said material treatment means comprises

(C1) means for directing said fluid droplets into a flocculent liquid;

(C2) means for removing said liquid medium;

(C3) means for vaporizing said liquid medium;

(C4) means for capping said clusters with an organic or inorganic capping agent; and

/or

(C5) means for reacting said clusters with a coating agent to form a protective layer on the surface of said clusters.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a step of doping said particles with predetermined dopants.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sub-step of passivating said clusters comprises contacting said clusters with a volatile capping agent selected from the group consisting of ammonia, methyl amine, ethyl amine, acetonitrile, ethyl acetate, methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol, pyridine, ethane thiol, tetrahydrofuran, and diethyl ether.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said compound semiconductor clusters have an average particle size of from about 1 to about 20 nm.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said compound semiconductor particles are selected from the group consisting of Cu(In₁₋

xGa_x)Se_y, where x is 0-1 and y is 1 or 2, CdS, ZnSe, ZnS, ZnTe, PbSe, PbS, and PbTe.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said first precursor composition is selected from the group consisting of metal halogenides, metal sulfates, metal nitrates, metal phosphates, complex metal salts, metal alcoholates, metal phenolates, metal carbonates, metal carboxylates, and metallo-organic compounds.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said liquid medium comprises a solvent selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol, diethyl ether, dibutyl ether, tetrahydrofuran, butoxyethanol, ethyl acetate, pentane, hexane, cyclohexane, and toluene.