O'Brien, S,Linehan, K,Doyle, H,Kingsley, A,Ashfield, C,Frank, B,Xie, L,Leifer, K,Thony, P,Perraud, S,Pemble, ME,Povey, IM

2015

March

Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology

Indium tin oxide-silicon nanocrystal nanocomposite grown by aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition

Validated

()

Nanocrystal Nanocomposite Aerosol-assisted CVD HR-TEM tomography ITO THIN-FILMS SOLAR-CELLS OPTICAL-PROPERTIES CVD FABRICATION PRESSURE GLASS EVAPORATION TOMOGRAPHY PRECURSORS

73

666

672

Nanocomposite films were successfully grown by aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition (CVD) in a single deposition step using a mixture of indium tin neodecanoate and ligand stabilised silicon nanocrystals. Samples were analysed by HRTEM and silicon nanocrystals with a density of 1.2 x 10(12) cm(-2) were observed. From the reconstructed 3D tomogram, the averaged distance between the nearest nanoparticles is 8.3 nm and the 3D density of nanoparticles is 1.6 x 10(18) cm(-3). An animation of the 3D reconstruction is supplied in the supporting information. These data show the versatility of aerosol assisted CVD in achieving a nanocomposite with such a density of silicon nanocrystals, of carefully controlled size and shape, within a polycrystalline host matrix. Therefore, meeting the density and size distribution requirements of particle inclusion in active nanocomposites for photovoltaic structures.ITO-silicon nanocrystal nanocomposite samples were analysed by HRTEM and silicon nanocrystals with a density of 1.2 x 10(12) cm(-2) were observed. From the reconstructed 3D tomogram, the averaged distance between the nearest nanoparticles is 8.3 nm and the 3D density of nanoparticles is 1.6 x 10(18) cm(-3).[GRAPHICS].

10.1007/s10971-015-3618-3