Zinc oxide semiconducting nanocrystals : scaffolds for intrinsic and extrinsic defects

• Main Author: Spina, Carla.
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: McGill University 2009
• Subjects: Semiconductor nanocrystals.; Zinc oxide.
• Online Access: http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=115869

As a material whose applications are many and growing, zinc oxide still remains a complex system whose photoluminescent (PL), structural, electrical, and photocatalytic properties have not been fundamentally understood. The luminescent properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocrystals (NCs) are very sensitive to crystal structure, and defect states in zinc oxide, which in turn is very sensitive to preparation methods, post-synthesis workup, and thermal treatments. Understanding and managing this rich defect chemistry is critical to controlling ZnO properties. As the surface-to-volume ratio of ZnO increases as materials enter the quantum regime, the surface defects play a stronger role. The exact role of the defect states and their contribution to the physical and chemical properties of ZnO has been studies in great lengths yet still remains controversial.