Group 13 selenide nanoparticles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9359202-B2
Application number	US-201313935942-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 5, 2013
Priority date	Jul 9, 2012
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

A method of preparing Group XIII selenide nanoparticles comprises reacting a Group XIII ion source with a selenol compound. The nanoparticles have an M x Se y semiconductor core (where M is In or Ga) and an organic capping ligand attached to the core via a carbon-selenium bond. The selenol provides a source of selenium for incorporation into the semiconductor core and also provides the organic capping ligand. The nanoparticles are particularly suitable for solution-based methods of preparing semiconductor films.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of producing Group 13 selenide nanoparticles, the method comprising:
reacting a Group 13 ion precursor with a selenol compound.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Group 13 ion precursor is a chloride, acetate, or acetylacetonate of a Group 13 element.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Group 13 ion precursor is selected from the group consisting of InCl 3 , In(OAc) 3 , In(acac) 3 , GaCl 3 , Ga(OAc) 3 and Ga(acac) 3 .

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selenol is an alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, or aryl selenol.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selenol contains 4 to 14 carbon atoms.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selenol compound is octane selenol.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding a second selenium compound to the Group 13 ion precursor.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second selenium source is a trioctylphosphine selenide.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles have diameters below about 200 nm.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles have diameters of about 2 to about 100 nm.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles have diameters less than about 10 nm.

12. Group 13 selenide nanoparticles prepared by a method comprising:
reacting a Group 13 ion precursor with a selenol compound.

13. A composition comprising: a nanoparticle comprising a core and an organic capping ligand, wherein the core comprises a Group 13 selenide semiconductor and wherein the organic capping ligand is bound to the nanoparticle by a carbon-selenium covalent bond.

14. The nanoparticle of claim 13 , wherein the organic capping ligand is an alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, or aryl group.

15. The nanoparticle of claim 13 , wherein the organic capping ligand contains 8 to 12 carbon atoms.

16. A method of forming a semiconductor film, the method comprising:
co-depositing CuSe nanoparticles and Group 13 selenide nanoparticles on a substrate, and
heating the substrate to a temperature sufficient to melt the CuSe nanoparticles and the Group 13 selenide nanoparticles; wherein
the Group 13 selenide nanoparticles comprise a Group 13 selenide semiconductor and an organic capping ligand bound to the nanoparticle by a carbon-selenium covalent bond and wherein the temperature is sufficient to remove the organic capping ligand.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the organic capping ligand is an alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, or aryl group.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the semiconductor film is substantially free of sulfur.

Assignees

• Nanoco Technologies Ltd
• Nanoco Technologies Ltd

Inventors

• Gresty Nathalie
• Masala Ombretta
• Newman Christopher
• Whitelegg Stephen
• Pickett Nigel

Classifications

• H10P14/3461

  Nanoparticles · CPC title

• H10P14/3436

  being chalcogenide semiconductor materials not being oxides, e.g. ternary compounds · CPC title

• H10P14/265

  using solutions · CPC title

• H10F77/1433

  Quantum dots · CPC title

• H10F77/126

  comprising only Group I-III-VI chalcopyrite materials, e.g. CuInSe2, CuGaSe2 or CuInGaSe2 [CIGS] · CPC title