Nanomaterials @ Interfaces Research Group

The electron spectroscopy techniques (X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES), High Resolution Electron Energy Losses Spectroscopy (HREELS), EELFS) were used for characterisation of semiconductor nanocrystals (Si, PbS, CdS) formed by various technologies: Si ion implantation in Al₂O₃ matrix and annealing; Si-rich multilayered SiN_X Low Pressure Chemical Vapour Deposition (LPCVD); PbS and ZnS nanocrystals on Polydiacetylene (PDA) Langmuir-Blodget polymer films. The chemical, phase and atomic structure non-uniformity were determined using depth profiling techniques. The peculiarities of the ‘matrix-nanocrystal’ interface atomic and electronic structure, especially for nanocrystals were determined from analysis of XPS chemical shifts and vibrational spectra. The accommodation strains in the Si-nc:AL, O₃ system were determined by EELFS. The comparison of electron spectroscopy methods and other techniques for nanocrystals investigations (PL, HR-TEM, ellipsometry) is made.