Claims
- 1. A plurality of semiconductor nanoparticles having an elementally passivated surface.
- 2. The nanoparticles of claim 1, wherein the passivated surface comprises passivated dangling bonds.
- 3. The nanoparticles of claim 2, wherein the passivated surface comprises an inorganic passivating element bound to the dangling bonds.
- 4. The nanoparticles of claim 3, wherein:
the nanoparticles comprise a II-VI, IV-VI, or a III-V semiconductor material; and the passivating element is selected from a group consisting of H, S, Se and Te.
- 5. The nanoparticles of claim 4, wherein the passivating element is sulfur.
- 6. The nanoparticles of claim 5, wherein the nanoparticles are selected from a group consisting of CdS, PbS, ZnS and compounds thereof.
- 7. The nanoparticles of claim 6, wherein the nanoparticles comprise PbS nanoparticles having an average size of 2 to 100 nm.
- 8. The nanoparticles of claim 4, wherein:
the nanoparticles are selected from a group consisting of CdSe, ZnSe, PbSe and compounds thereof; and the passivating element comprises Se.
- 9. The nanoparticles of claim 5, wherein the nanoparticles comprise a III-V semiconductor material.
- 10. The nanoparticles of claim 3, wherein the nanoparticles are capable of being suspended in water without substantial agglomeration and substantial precipitation on container surfaces for at least 30 days.
- 11. The nanoparticles of claim 10, wherein the nanoparticles are suspended in water without substantial agglomeration and substantial precipitation on container surfaces.
- 12. The nanoparticles of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles have an average size between about 2 nm and about 100 nm with a size standard deviation of less than 60 percent of the average nanoparticle size measured by photon correlated spectroscopy (PCS) method.
- 13. The nanoparticles of claim 1, wherein:
the nanoparticles are suspended in a solution, suspension or mixture; or the nanoparticles are located on a solid substrate or in a solid matrix.
- 14. An article of manufacture comprising the nanoparticles of claim 1, selected from the group consisting of:
(a) polishing slurry comprising a polishing slurry fluid and the nanoparticles of claim 1 in the slurry fluid; (b) a device containing a hardness or wear resistant coating, wherein the coating comprises the nanoparticles of claim 1, located on at least a portion of the device; (c) an ultra low porosity material having a porosity below 10 volume percent comprising a solid matrix and the nanoparticles of claim 1 incorporated into the matrix; (d) a filter comprising compressed nanoparticles of claim 1;(e) a paint comprising a liquid base and the nanoparticles of claim 1;(f) an article of clothing or footwear containing a moisture barrier, wherein the moisture barrier comprises a layer of nanoparticles of claim 1, located on at least one surface of the article; (g) an environmental sensor comprising a radiation source and a matrix material containing the nanoparticles of claim 1;(h) a light emitting device comprising light emitting nanoparticles of claim 1;(i) an organic light emitting diode comprising an organic light emitting material in a matrix of nanoparticles of claim 1, a first electrode, and a second electrode; (j) a lamp, comprising a shell, a source of radiation located in the shell, and a layer of nanoparticles of claim 1 located on at least one surface of the shell, wherein the nanoparticles absorb the radiation emitted by the radiation source and emit visible light; (k) a magnetic data storage device comprising a magnetic field source, a data storage medium comprising the nanoparticles of claim 1; and a photodetector which detects radiation emitted from the nanoparticles in response to the application of a magnetic field by the magnetic field source; (l) a magnetic storage medium comprising a magnetic material and the nanoparticles of claim 1;(m) an optical storage medium comprising a substrate, and the nanoparticles of claim 1 located in predetermined areas of the substrate, such that first areas of the substrate contain the nanoparticles while the second areas of the substrate do not contain the nanoparticles; (n) an optical system, comprising at least one microcantilever, and light emitting nanoparticles comprising the nanoparticles of claim 1 located on a tip of the at least one microcantilever; (o) an optical switch, comprising light emitting nanoparticles comprising the nanoparticles of claim 1, and a source of magnetic field which is adapted to extinguish radiation emitted by the nanoparticles when it provides a magnetic field adjacent to the nanoparticles; (p) an ink comprising a liquid ink and the nanoparticles of claim 1; and (q) a cleaning composition comprising a cleaning fluid containing the nanoparticles of claim 1.
- 15. The article of claim 14, wherein:
the device (b) comprises at least one of a tool, a drill bit, a turbine blade, a gear and a cutting apparatus; the liquid base of the paint (e) evaporates after being applied to a surface, such that the nanoparticles of claim 1 provide a color to a surface; the moisture barrier of the apparel or footwear (f) generates heat when exposed to sunlight or traps heat emitted by a body; the layer of nanoparticles in the lamp (j) contains nanoparticles which emit different color light, such that the combined light output of the nanoparticles appears as white light to a human observer; and the nanoparticles in the magnetic storage medium (l) comprise barrier layers located in the magnetic material such that the barrier layers form domain walls in the magnetic material or the medium (l) further comprises a substrate containing the nanoparticles doped with atoms of the magnetic material, such that each nanoparticle is adapted to store one bit of data.
- 16. A plurality of semiconductor nanoparticles having an average size between about 2 nm and about 100 nm with a size standard deviation of less than 60 percent of the average nanoparticle size determined by photon correlated spectroscopy (PCS) method.
- 17. The nanoparticles of claim 16, wherein the nanoparticles have an average size between about 2 nm and about 10 nm with a size standard deviation of between about 15 and about 30 percent of the average nanoparticle size determined by photon correlated spectroscopy (PCS) method.
- 18. The nanoparticles of claim 16, wherein the nanoparticles have an elementally passivated surface comprising an inorganic passivating element bound to dangling bonds.
- 19. The nanoparticles of claim 18, wherein:
the nanoparticles comprise a II-VI, IV-VI, or a III-V semiconductor material; and the passivating element is selected from a group consisting of H, S, Se and Te.
- 20. The nanoparticles of claim 19, wherein:
the passivating element comprises sulfur; and the nanoparticles are selected from a group consisting of CdS, PbS, ZnS and compounds thereof.
- 21. The nanoparticles of claim 16, wherein the nanoparticles are capable of being suspended in water without substantial agglomeration and substantial precipitation on container surfaces for at least 30 days.
- 22. The nanoparticles of claim 21, wherein the nanoparticles are suspended in water without substantial agglomeration and substantial precipitation on container surfaces.
- 23. A method of making semiconductor nanoparticles, comprising:
forming semiconductor nanoparticles of a first size in a solution; and providing an etching liquid into the solution to etch the semiconductor nanoparticles of the first size to a second size smaller than the first size.
- 24. The method of claim 23, wherein:
the solution comprises an aqueous solution; and the etching liquid comprises hydrochloric acid.
- 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of forming semiconductor nanoparticles comprises combining a metal Group IIB or lead compound and a Group VI compound in a solvent comprising water.
- 26. The method of claim 25, wherein:
the metal compound comprises a Pb, Zn or Cd compound; and the Group VI compound comprises a sulfur compound.
- 27. The method of claim 26, wherein:
Pb, Zn or Cd compound comprises PbO, ZnO or CdO; and the sulfur compound comprises ammonium sulfide.
- 28. The method of claim 26, wherein:
Pb, Zn or Cd compound comprises PbCl2, ZnCl2 or CdCl2; and the sulfur compound comprises sodium sulfide.
- 29. The method of claim 26, wherein the solution comprises an excess amount of sulfur which binds to dangling bonds on a surface of the nanoparticles to passivate the surface of the nanoparticles.
- 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the sulfur compound comprises (NH4)2S1+x which provides the excess amount of sulfur which binds to the dangling bond.
- 31. The method of claim 29, wherein the solution contains a larger molar amount of sulfur compound than the molar amount of the Pb, Zn or Cd compound to provide the excess amount of sulfur which binds to dangling bonds.
- 32. The method of claim 23, wherein the solution contains a passivating element which binds to dangling bonds on a surface of the nanoparticles to passivate the surface of the nanoparticles.
- 33. A method of making semiconductor nanoparticles, comprising reacting at least a first reactant and a second reactant in a solution to form the semiconductor nanoparticles in the solution, wherein a first reactant provides a passivating element which binds to dangling bonds on a surface of the nanoparticles to passivate the surface of the nanoparticles.
- 34. The method of claim 33, wherein the semiconductor nanoparticles comprise II-VI, III-V or IV-VI semiconductor nanoparticles.
- 35. The method of claim 34, wherein:
the first reactant comprises (NH4)2S1+x; the second reactant comprises a lead, cadmium or zinc compound; and the nanoparticles comprise PbS, CdS or ZnS nanoparticles having a sulfur passivated surface.
- 36. The method of claim 34, wherein:
the first reactant comprises liquid (NH4)2SeO4, the second reactant comprises solid a lead, cadmium or zinc compound; and the nanoparticles comprise PbSe, CdSe or ZnSe nanoparticles having a selenide passivated surface.
- 37. The method of claim 34, further comprising providing a third reactant comprising a Group V element compound;
wherein:
the first reactant comprises liquid (NH4)2S1+x; the second reactant comprises a Group III element compound; and the nanoparticles comprise II-V semiconductor nanoparticles having a surface passivated by at least one of sulfur and hydrogen.
- 38. The method of claim 33, further comprising diluting at least one reactant with water.
- 39. The method of claim 33, further comprising adding an acid to the solution.
- 40. The method of claim 39, wherein the acid comprises HCl.
- 41. The method of claim 33, wherein:
the passivating element comprises sulfur; the first and the second reactants comprise inorganic reactants; and the reaction is carried out in an aqueous solution.
- 42. The method of claim 41, wherein the nanoparticles remain suspended in the solution for at least 30 days without substantial agglomeration and without substantial precipitation from the solution.
- 43. The method of claim 33, further comprising:
removing the nanoparticles from the solution; and placing the nanoparticles into an article.
- 44. An article, comprising one of:
(a) a polishing slurry comprising a polishing slurry fluid containing semiconductor nanoparticles; (b) a device comprising a semiconductor nanoparticle hardness or wear resistant coating located on at least a portion of the device; (c) an ultra low porosity material having a porosity below 10 volume percent comprising a solid matrix and semiconductor nanoparticles incorporated into the matrix; (d) a filter comprising semiconductor nanoparticles; (e) a paint comprising a liquid base and semiconductor nanoparticles; (f) an article of apparel or footwear comprising a semiconductor nanoparticle moisture barrier layer located on at least one surface of the article; (g) an edifice comprising a semiconductor nanoparticle moisture barrier layer located on at least one surface of the edifice; (h) an environmental sensor comprising a radiation source and a matrix material containing semiconductor nanoparticles; (i) an organic light emitting diode comprising an organic light emitting material in a matrix of semiconductor nanoparticles, a first electrode, and a second electrode; (j) a lamp, comprising a shell a source of radiation located in the shell, and a layer of semiconductor nanoparticles located on at least one surface of the shell which absorb the radiation emitted by the radiation source and emit visible light; (k) a magnetic data storage device comprising a magnetic field source, a data storage medium comprising semiconductor nanoparticles, and a photodetector which detects radiation emitted from the nanoparticles in response to the application of a magnetic field by the magnetic field source; (l) a magnetic storage medium comprising a magnetic material and semiconductor nanoparticles; (m) an optical storage medium comprising a substrate, and semiconductor nanoparticles located in predetermined areas of the substrate, such that first areas of the substrate contain the nanoparticles, while second areas of the substrate do not contain the nanoparticles; (n) an optical system, comprising at least one microcantilever, and light emitting semiconductor nanoparticles located on a tip of the at least one microcantilever; (o) an optical switch, comprising light emitting semiconductor nanoparticles, and a source of magnetic field which is adapted to extinguish radiation emitted by the nanoparticles when it provides a magnetic field adjacent to the nanoparticles; (p) an ink composition comprising a liquid ink and semiconductor nanoparticles; and (q) a cleaning composition comprising a cleaning fluid containing semiconductor nanoparticles.
- 45. The article of claim 44, wherein:
the device (b) comprises at least one of a tool, a drill bit, a turbine blade, a gear and a cutting apparatus; the liquid base of the paint (e) evaporates after being applied to a surface, such that the nanoparticles provide a color to the surface; the moisture barrier of the apparel or footwear (f) generates heat when exposed to sunlight or traps heat emitted by a body; the layer of nanoparticles in the lamp (j) contains nanoparticles which emit different color light, such that the combined light output of the nanoparticles appears as white light to a human observer; and the nanoparticles in the magnetic storage medium (l) comprise barrier layers located in the magnetic material such that the barrier layers form domain walls in the magnetic material or the medium (l) further comprises a substrate containing the nanoparticles doped with atoms of the magnetic material, such that each nanoparticle is adapted to store one bit of data.
- 46. The article of claim 44, wherein dangling bonds on the semiconductor nanoparticle surface are passivated with an inorganic passivating element bound to the dangling bonds.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application claims benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application Serial No. 60/316,979, filed on Sep. 5, 2001, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60316979 |
Sep 2001 |
US |