This unique collection of knowledge represents a comprehensive treatment of the fundamental and practical consequences of size reduction in silicon crystals. This clearly structured reference introduces readers to the optical, electrical and thermal properties of silicon nanocrystals that arise from their greatly reduced dimensions. It covers their synthesis and characterization from both chemical and physical viewpoints, including ion implantation, colloidal synthesis and vapor deposition methods. A major part of the text is devoted to applications in microelectronics as well as photonics and nanobiotechnology, making this of great interest to the high-tech industry.

Recent developments in the technology of silicon nanocrystals and silicon nanostructures, where quantum-size effects are important, are systematically described including examples of device applications. Due to the strong quantum confinement effect, the material properties are freed from the usual indirect- or direct-bandgap regime, and the optical, electrical, thermal, and chemical properties of these nanocrystalline and nanostructured semiconductors are drastically changed from those of bulk silicon. In addition to efficient visible luminescence, various other useful material functions are induced in nanocrystalline silicon and periodic silicon nanostructures. Some novel devices and applications, in fields such as photonics (electroluminescence diode, microcavity, and waveguide), electronics (single-electron device, spin transistor, nonvolatile memory, and ballistic electron emitter), acoustics, and biology, have been developed by the use of these quantum-induced functions in ways different from the conventional scaling principle for ULSI.

Semiconductor nanocrystals and metal nanoparticles are the building blocks of the next generation of electronic, optoelectronic, and photonic devices. Covering this rapidly developing and interdisciplinary field, the book examines in detail the physical properties and device applications of semiconductor nanocrystals and metal nanoparticles. It begins with a review of the synthesis and characterization of various semiconductor nanocrystals and metal nanoparticles and goes on to discuss in detail their optical, light emission, and electrical properties. It then illustrates some exciting applications of nanoelectronic devices (memristors and single-electron devices) and optoelectronic devices (UV detectors, quantum dot lasers, and solar cells), as well as other applications (gas sensors and metallic nanopastes for power electronics packaging). Focuses on a new class of materials that exhibit fascinating physical properties and have many exciting device applications. Presents an overview of synthesis strategies and characterization techniques for various semiconductor nanocrystal and metal nanoparticles. Examines in detail the optical/optoelectronic properties, light emission properties, and electrical properties of semiconductor nanocrystals and metal nanoparticles. Reviews applications in nanoelectronic devices, optoelectronic devices, and photonic devices.

This book reviews the latest advances in the development of silicon nano-biotechnology for biological and biomedical applications, which include biosensing, bioimaging, and cancer therapy. In this book, newly developed silicon nano-biotechnology and its biomedical applications are systematically introduced. For instance, fluorescent silicon nanoparticles, serving as novel high-performance biological nanoprobes, are superbly suited to real-time and long-term bioimaging. Silicon nanowire-based sensing platform is especially capable of sensitive, specific, and multiplexed detection of various biological species. Silicon-based nanocarriers with ultra-high drug-loading capacity are highly efficacious for in vitro and in vivo cancer therapies. This book is intended for readers who are interested in the design of functional silicon nanostructures and their biological and biomedical applications. It uses silicon nanoparticles and silicon nanowires as models and discusses topics ranging from their synthesis to their biological applications, the goal being to highlight these exciting achievements as starting points in the field of silicon nano-biotechnology. Yao He is a Professor at Institute of Functional Nano&Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Soochow University, China. Yuanyuan Su is an Associate Professor at Institute of Functional Nano&Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Soochow University, China.

Silicon, the leading material in microelectronics during the last four decades, also promises to be the key material in the future. Despite many claims that silicon technology has reached fundamental limits, the performance of silicon microelectronics continues to improve steadily. The same holds for almost all the applications for which Si was considered to be unsuitable. The main exception to this positive trend is the silicon laser, which has not been demonstrated to date. The main reason for this comes from a fundamental limitation related to the indirect nature of the Si band-gap. In the recent past, many different approaches have been taken to achieve this goal: dislocated silicon, extremely pure silicon, silicon nanocrystals, porous silicon, Er doped Si-Ge, SiGe alloys and multiquantum wells, SiGe quantum dots, SiGe quantum cascade structures, shallow impurity centers in silicon and Er doped silicon. All of these are abundantly illustrated in the present book.

This is the first book to specifically focus on semiconductor nanocrystals, and address their synthesis and assembly, optical properties and spectroscopy, and potential areas of nanocrystal-based devices. The enormous potential of nanoscience to impact on industrial output is now clear. Over the next two decades, much of the science will transfer into new products and processes. One emerging area where this challenge will be very successfully met is the field of semiconductor nanocrystals. Also known as colloidal quantum dots, their unique properties have attracted much attention in the last twenty years.

This fourth book in the series Silicon Photonics gathers together reviews of recent advances in the field of silicon photonics that go beyond already established and applied concepts in this technology. The field of research and development in silicon photonics has moved beyond improvements of integrated circuits fabricated with complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) technology to applications in engineering, physics, chemistry, materials science, biology, and medicine. The chapters provided in this book by experts in their fields thus cover not only new research into the highly desired goal of light production in Group IV materials, but also new measurement regimes and novel technologies, particularly in information processing and telecommunication. The book is suited for graduate students, established scientists, and research engineers who want to update their knowledge in these new topics.

Properties of nanosilicon in the form of nanoparticles, nanowires, nanotubes, and as porous material are of great interest. They can be used in finding suitable components for future miniature devices, and for the more exciting possibilities of novel optoelectronic applications due to bright luminescence from porous silicon, nanoparticles and nanowires. New findings from research into metal encapsulated clusters, silicon fullerenes and nanotubes have opened up a new paradigm in nanosilicon research and this could lead to large scale production of nanoparticles with control on size and shape as well as novel quasi one-dimensional structures. There are possibilities of using silicon as an optical material and in the development of a silicon laser. In Nanosilicon, leading experts cover state-of-the-art experimental and theoretical advances in the different forms of nanosilicon. Furthermore, applications of nanosilicon to single electron transistors, as photonic material, chemical and biological sensors at molecular scale, and silicon nanowire devices are also discussed. Self-assemblies of silicon nanoforms are important for applications. These developments are also related to cage structures of silicon in clathrates. With an interesting focus on the bottlenecks in the advancement of silicon based technology, this book provides a much-needed overview of the current state of understanding of nanosilicon research. - Latest developments in nanoparticles, nanowires and nanotubes of silicon - Focus on nanosilicon - a very timely subject attracting large interest - Novel chapters on metal encapsulated silicon clusters and nanotubes

This comprehensive tutorial guide to silicon nanomaterials spans from fundamental properties, growth mechanisms, and processing of nanosilicon to electronic device, energy conversion and storage, biomedical, and environmental applications. It also presents core knowledge with basic mathematical equations, tables, and graphs in order to provide the reader with the tools necessary to understand the latest technology developments. From low-dimensional structures, quantum dots, and nanowires to hybrid materials, arrays, networks, and biomedical applications, this Sourcebook is a complete resource for anyone working with this materials: Covers fundamental concepts, properties, methods, and practical applications. Focuses on one important type of silicon nanomaterial in every chapter. Discusses formation, properties, and applications for each material. Written in a tutorial style with basic equations and fundamentals included in an extended introduction. Highlights materials that show exceptional properties as well as strong prospects for future applications. Klaus D. Sattler is professor physics at the University of Hawaii, Honolulu, having earned his PhD at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. He was honored with the Walter Schottky Prize from the German Physical Society, and is the editor of the sister work also published by Taylor & Francis, Carbon Nanomaterials Sourcebook, as well as the acclaimed multi-volume Handbook of Nanophysics.

Defects in Nanocrystals: Structural and Physico-Chemical Aspects discusses the nature of semiconductor systems and the effect of the size and shape on their thermodynamic and optoelectronic properties at the mesoscopic and nanoscopic levels. The nanostructures considered in this book are individual nanometric crystallites, nanocrystalline films, and nanowires of which the thermodynamic, structural, and optical properties are discussed in detail. The work: Outlines the influence of growth processes on their morphology and structure Describes the benefits of optical spectroscopies in the understanding of the role and nature of defects in nanostructured semiconductors Considers the limits of nanothermodynamics Details the critical role of interfaces in nanostructural behavior Covers the importance of embedding media in the physico-chemical properties of nanostructured semiconductors Explains the negligible role of core point defects vs. surface and interface defects Written for researchers, engineers, and those working in the physical and physicochemical sciences, this work comprehensively details the chemical, structural, and optical properties of semiconductor nanostructures for the development of more powerful and efficient devices.