Quantum-size-controlled photoelectrochemical etching of semiconductor nanostructures
| DWPI Title: Method for fabricating semiconductor nanostructure for e.g. sensors, involves etching surface of semiconductor until nanostructure forms in surface that includes quantum-size-dependent bandgap energy greater than energy of light |
| Abstract: Quantum-size-controlled photoelectrochemical (QSC-PEC) etching provides a new route to the precision fabrication of epitaxial semiconductor nanostructures in the sub-10-nm size regime. For example, quantum dots (QDs) can be QSC-PEC-etched from epitaxial InGaN thin films using narrowband laser photoexcitation, and the QD sizes (and hence bandgaps and photoluminescence wavelengths) are determined by the photoexcitation wavelength. |
| Use: Method for fabricating an epitaxial semiconductor nanostructure for high power and high speed electronics, solid state lighting, piezoelectric sensors and actuators. |
| Advantage: The method enables using quantum-size effects in a self-consistent and self-limited manner to fabricate the semiconductor nanostructure on surfaces and in thin films, thus increasing bandgaps of resulting nanoparticles due to quantum confinement effects, and hence reducing etch rate drops to essentially zero due to a self-limiting etch mechanism. The method enables selecting proper geometry quantum-size-controlled photoelectrochemical (QSC-PEC) etching that can leave a single quantum dot (QD) accurately positioned at a center of a post, so that the QSC-PEC etching can be used to fabricate both single and arrayed QDs within single or arrayed nanoposts or nanowires, thus enabling simultaneous precise spatial and spectral matching of QDs to optical cavities within a nanophotonic structure. |
| Novelty: The method involves providing a semiconductor in a photoelectrochemical cell, where the semiconductor comprises an III-V semiconductor. Surface of the semiconductor is illuminated with narrowband light including energy exceeding bandgap energy of the semiconductor. The surface of the semiconductor is photoelectrochemically etched until a nanostructure forms in the surface that includes quantum-size-dependent bandgap energy greater than energy of the narrowband light. The III-V semiconductor comprises gallium, aluminum, indium, phosphorus, arsenic, or antimony alloy. |
| Filed: 2/17/2015 |
| Application Number: US14624074A |
| Tech ID: SD 13021.1 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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