TY - JOUR
T1 - Evaporation and deposition of alkyl-capped silicon nanocrystals in ultrahigh vacuum
AU - Chao, Yimin
AU - Šiller, Lidija
AU - Krishnamurthy, Satheesh
AU - Coxon, Paul R.
AU - Bangert, Ursel
AU - Gass, Mhairi
AU - Kjeldgaard, Lisbeth
AU - Patole, Samson N.
AU - Lie, Lars H.
AU - O'Farrell, Norah
AU - Alsop, Thomas A.
AU - Houlton, Andrew
AU - Horrocks, Benjamin R.
PY - 2007/8
Y1 - 2007/8
N2 - Nanocrystals are under active investigation because of their interesting size-dependent properties and potential applications. Silicon nanocrystals have been studied for possible uses in optoelectronics, and may be relevant to the understanding of natural processes such as lightning strikes. Gas-phase methods can be used to prepare nanocrystals, and mass spectrometric techniques have been used to analyse Au and CdSe clusters. However, it is difficult to study nanocrystals by such methods unless they are synthesized in the gas phase. In particular, pre-prepared nanocrystals are generally difficult to sublime without decomposition. Here we report the observation that films of alkyl-capped silicon nanocrystals evaporate upon heating in ultrahigh vacuum at 200°C, and the vapour of intact nanocrystals can be collected on a variety of solid substrates. This effect may be useful for the controlled preparation of new quantum-confined silicon structures and could facilitate their mass spectroscopic study and size-selection.
AB - Nanocrystals are under active investigation because of their interesting size-dependent properties and potential applications. Silicon nanocrystals have been studied for possible uses in optoelectronics, and may be relevant to the understanding of natural processes such as lightning strikes. Gas-phase methods can be used to prepare nanocrystals, and mass spectrometric techniques have been used to analyse Au and CdSe clusters. However, it is difficult to study nanocrystals by such methods unless they are synthesized in the gas phase. In particular, pre-prepared nanocrystals are generally difficult to sublime without decomposition. Here we report the observation that films of alkyl-capped silicon nanocrystals evaporate upon heating in ultrahigh vacuum at 200°C, and the vapour of intact nanocrystals can be collected on a variety of solid substrates. This effect may be useful for the controlled preparation of new quantum-confined silicon structures and could facilitate their mass spectroscopic study and size-selection.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34547664722&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/nnano.2007.224
DO - 10.1038/nnano.2007.224
M3 - Article
C2 - 18654345
AN - SCOPUS:34547664722
SN - 1748-3387
VL - 2
SP - 486
EP - 489
JO - Nature Nanotechnology
JF - Nature Nanotechnology
IS - 8
ER -