Semiconductor Nanomaterials

Abstract

The study of the physico-chemical, structural, morphological and optoelectronic properties of nanocrystalline semiconductors prepared in the form of dots, wires and sheets is the aim of this chapter, where the cases of silicon, germanium and ZnO are taken as representative examples. To start, the effect of size and morphology on the thermodynamic and quantum-confined properties of nanocrystalline silicon is considered, also in view of the growth processes carried out from the molten phase, which are considered in full detail. The case of silicon is considered as a paradigmatic example for elemental semiconductors, showing the influence of size on the crystallographic structure and optical properties when prepared as a nanowire, looking to the effects of the different methods used for its preparation as dots, nanowires and films. The case of ZnO is also considered as a paradigmatic case of use of oxide semiconductors as chemical sensors or optical emitters at the nanosize, devoting an extended discussion to its preparation and properties.