Most nanotechnology research is focused on improving material properties or developing new materials, reports analysts Technical Insights.
According to the company, a particular emphasis has been placed on “quantum dots”. These impart special optical and electrical properties that make the dots suit applications such as tunable lasers and other optical components.
Nonetheless, Technical Insights says that much work must be done to reach viable applications. The properties of a dot can change dramatically because quantum effects arise from the confinement of electrons and holes in the material.
Size also alters the electrical and nonlinear optical properties of a material, making them very different from those of the material’s bulk form. Consequently, the control of properties is the main challenge in device applications. In grown quantum dot arrays, the dots tend to clump, causing unwanted size variations and decreased performance.
To overcome this, researchers have recently developed a technique that allows nanocrystals to self-assemble into orderly arrangements, each insulated from the other by a layer of silicon dioxide. This method, which is both inexpensive and potentially commercially viable, is said to prevent clumping.
Research into quantum dots has progressed from continuous improvement of synthesis and manipulation of individual quantum dots to creation of high-density quantum dot assemblies and preliminary fabrication of real-life optoelectronic devices.
“The emerging field of nanotechnology is moving out of laboratories toward real-world applications and commercialisation,” says Technical Insights Research Analyst Hrishikesh Bidwe. (See Electronics News Sep 04 pg 14.)