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Updated: Mar 24, 2026

Fabrication of Fully Solution Processed Inorganic Nanocrystal Photovoltaic Devices
Published on: July 8, 2016
Energy band diagram of device-grade silicon nanocrystals
M Macias-Montero1, S Askari1, S Mitra1
1Nanotechnology & Integrated Bio-Engineering Centre (NIBEC), University of Ulster, BT37 0QB, UK. m.macias-montero@ulster.ac.uk.
Abstract:
Device grade silicon nanocrystals (NCs) are synthesized using an atmospheric-pressure plasma technique. The Si NCs have a small and well defined size of about 2.3 nm. The synthesis system allows for the direct creation of thin films, enabling a range of measurements to be performed and easy implementation of this material in different devices. The chemical stability of the Si NCs is evaluated, showing relatively long-term durability thanks to hydrogen surface terminations. Optical and electrical characterization techniques, including Kelvin probe, ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy and Mott-Schottky analysis, are employed to determine the energy band diagram of the Si NCs.
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