Probing silicon quantum dots by single-dot techniques

Silicon nanocrystals represent an important class of non-toxic, heavy-metal free quantum dots, where the high natural abundance of silicon is an additional advantage. Successful development in mass-fabrication, starting from porous silicon to recent advances in chemical and plasma synthesis, opens up new possibilities for applications in optoelectronics, bio-imaging, photovoltaics, and sensitizing areas. In this review basic physical properties of silicon nanocrystals revealed by photoluminescence spectroscopy, lifetime, intensity trace and electrical measurements on individual nanoparticles are summarized. The fabrication methods developed for accessing single Si nanocrystals are also reviewed. It is concluded that silicon nanocrystals share many of the properties of direct bandgap nanocrystals exhibiting sharp emission lines at low temperatures, on/off blinking, spectral diffusion etc. An analysis of reported results is provided in comparison with theory and with direct bandgap material quantum dots. In addition, the role of passivation and inherent interface/matrix defects is discussed.