Anton Fojtik

Layers of Metal Nanoparticles on Semiconductors Deposited by Electrophoresis from Solutions with Reverse Micelles

Pd nanoparticles were prepared with reverse micelles of water/AOT/isooctane solution and deposited onto silicon or InP substrates by electrophoresis. A large change of capacitance-voltage characteristics of mercury contacts on a semiconductor was found after Pd deposition. This change could be modified when the Pd deposition is followed by a partial removal of the deposited AOT. The deposited Pd nanoparticles were investigated by optical mictroscopy, SIMS and SEM. Finally, Schottky diodes with barrier height as high as 1.07 eV were prepared by deposition of Pd nanoparticles on n-type InP and by a partial removal of superfluous AOT. These diodes are prospective structures for further testing as hydrogen sensors.

Electrophoresis deposition of metal nanoparticles with reverse micelles onto InP

Abstract Nanolayers were deposited onto surfaces of n-type InP single crystal wafers by electrophoresis from reverse micelle colloid solutions containing palladium nanoparticles. Two types of nanolayers were deposited, by applying a positive potential or a negative potential on the InP wafer. Further, wafers with nanolayers were annealed in high vacuum at 400 °C. The nanolayers were studied using capacitance–voltage characteristics on a mercury probe, by atomic force microscopy and by secondary-ion mass spectroscopy. Two types of Schottky-like diodes were prepared on wafers with the two types of nanolayers and studied by current–voltage characteristics. The diodes with nanolayers deposited by applying the positive potential, which contained Pd nanolayers, showed characteristics with better rectifying properties than the other type of diodes. Correlations among measured characterizations were found.