Nanoparticle Precursors for Electronic Materials

The use of nanoparticle precursors for electronic materials including sulfides, selenides, oxides and the elements has potentially wide ranging implications for improving device properties and substantially reducing the deposition costs. To realize this goal the complex interfacial chemistry of these small particles must be controlled. In this paper we present a number of cases demonstrating the complexity of this chemistry. These include CuInSe₂ where the kinetics of phase formation dominate the sintering process; CdTe where sintering proceeds with and without the sintering enhancement of CdCl₂, but produces materials different electronically than bulk materials; and the use of compound and elemental nanoparticles (Ag, Al, Hg-Cu-Te and Sb-Te) for contacts to elemental and compound semiconductors (Si and CdTe).