SEMICONDUCTORS: STUDIES FROM E.A. KAFADARYAN ET AL HAVE PROVIDED NEW DATA ON SEMICONDUCTORS

Science Letter
October 14, 2008

"CdSe nanocrystals (NCs) embedded in SiO2 thin films were prepared
using RF-magnetron co-sputtering. The average NC size was estimated
to be 18 nm," researchers in Armenia report (see also Semiconductors).

"The dark and photocurrent temporal dependences have been measured as
a function of the magnitude of applied voltage (50-150 V). Annealing
the samples seems to improve the photoconductivity (similar to 10(-12)
Omega(-1)) that increases with the film thickness and slightly changes
under the bias voltage. Furthermore, the photovoltage measurements
showed that a concentration of CdSe in the range of 27 mol% leads to
the generation of a photovoltaic signal up to 5 V at 400 mu W cm(-2),"
wrote E.A. Kafadaryan and colleagues.

The researchers concluded: "These results demonstrate the potential
of silica films with embedded CdSe NCs for photovoltaic applications."

Kafadaryan and colleagues published their study in Semiconductor
Science and Technology (Investigation of photoelectrical properties
of CdSe nanocrystals embedded in a SiO2 matrix. Semiconductor Science
and Technology, 2008;23(9):95025).

For additional information, contact E.A. Kafadaryan, National Academy
Science, Institute Physics Research, Ashtarak 378410 2, Armenia.

Publisher contact information for the journal Semiconductor Science
and Technology is: IOP Publishing Ltd., Dirac House, Temple Back,
Bristol BS1 6BE, England.