Abstract: A method for synthesis of high quality colloidal nanoparticles using comprises a high heating rate process. Irradiation of single mode, high power, microwave is a particularly well suited technique to realize high quality semiconductor nanoparticles. The use of microwave radiation effectively automates the synthesis, and more importantly, permits the use of a continuous flow microwave reactor for commercial preparation of the high quality colloidal nanoparticles.

Abstract: A hydrogenation catalyst including a base material coated with a catalytic metal is made using mechanical milling techniques. The hydrogenation catalysts are used as an excellent catalyst for the dehalogenation of contaminated compounds and the remediation of other industrial compounds. Preferably, the hydrogenation catalyst is a bimetallic particle including zero-valent metal particles coated with a catalytic material. The mechanical milling technique is simpler and cheaper than previously used methods for producing hydrogenation catalysts.

Abstract: A novel encoding system and methods for determining the location and/or identity of a particular item or component of interest is provided. In particular, the present invention utilizes a “barcode” comprising one or more sizes of semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots) having characteristic spectral emissions, to either “track” the location of a particular item of interest or to identify a particular item of interest. The semiconductor nanocrystals used in the inventive “barcoding” scheme can be tuned to a desired wavelength to produce a characteristic spectral emission in narrow spectral widths, and with a symmetric, nearly Gaussian line shape, by changing the composition and size of the quantum dot. Additionally, the intensity of the emission at a particular characteristic wavelength can also be varied, thus enabling the use of binary or higher order encoding schemes.

Abstract: Ternary tellurium compounds and ternary selenium compounds may be used in fabricating thermoelectric devices with a thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of 1.5 or greater. Examples of such compounds include Tl2SnTe5, Tl2GeTe5, K2SnTe5 and Rb2SnTe5. These compounds have similar types of crystal lattice structures which include a first substructure with a (Sn, Ge) Te5 composition and a second substructure with chains of selected cation atoms. The second substructure includes selected cation atoms which interact with selected anion atoms to maintain a desired separation between the chains of the first substructure. The cation atoms which maintain the desired separation between the chains occupy relatively large electropositive sites in the resulting crystal lattice structure which results in a relatively low value for the lattice component of thermal conductivity (&kgr;g).

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for the heat treatment of a ZnSe crystal substrate to dope it with Al as a donor impurity, a ZnSe crystal substrate prepared by this heat treatment and a light-emitting device using the ZnSe crystal substrate, in particular, the method for the heat treatment of a ZnSe crystal substrate comprising previously forming an Al film on the substrate, first subjecting the substrate to a heat treatment in a Se atmosphere and then subjecting to a heat treatment in a Zn atmosphere.

Abstract: The invention is directed to novel compounds which serve as single-source precursors for the deposition of gallium nitride on thin films. The invention is also directed to methods for the synthesis of these novel compounds. The invention is further directed to methods for the use of such compounds in the deposition of gallium nitride on thin films and in the synthesis of bulk materials.

Abstract: An aluminum fill process for sub-0.25 .mu.m technology integrated circuits that has a reflow temperature less than 400.degree. C. that has low alloy resistivity and excellent electromigration characteristics. The aluminum allow is composed of Al-1% Ge-1% Cu.

Abstract: Applicant has discovered that aliovalently doped zinc-indium-oxide where In is 40-75% of the metal elements can achieve electrical conductivity comparable to wide band-gap semiconductors presently in use while exhibiting enhanced transparency in both the visible and infrared. The material can be doped to resistivity of less than 1 milliohm-cm by small quantifies of aliovalent dopants, such as tetravalent atoms. It can be deposited on glass substrates in amorphous and polycrystalline films.

Abstract: The present invention relates, in general, to a method of synthesizing nanocrystals and, in particular, to a method of synthesizing III-V semiconductor nanocrystals in solution at a low temperature and in a high yield. The method comprises the combination of mixing a Na/K alloy with an excess of Group VA element (E) in an aromatic solvent to form a (Na/K).sub.3 E pnictide, and subsequently mixing the pnictide with a Group IIIA trihalide (MX.sub.3) in a coordinating solution to form a suspension that includes the nanocrystalline semiconductor.

Abstract: Mixed metal chalcogenides formed of lanthanide chalcogenides having the formula MLnX.sub.2 where M is selected from the group consisting of Ag, Cu and Au; Ln is one of the elements of the lanthanide family other than Pm and X is selected from the group consisting of S, Se and Te and having electrical properties that range from dielectrics to semiconductors to metallic conductors in a temperature range from -50.degree. C. to in excess of +100.degree. C. The lanthanide chalcogenides can be prepared by slow fusion of the basic elements such as silver, lanthanum and selenium, in substantially stoichiometric properties, in powder form under an extended time period at elevated temperature, e.g. 650.degree. C. to 700.degree. C.

Abstract: Composite particles designed as a filler for gaskets, caulking compounds and plastics in general. The unique properties are obtained by using a soft metal core galvanically similar to the metal the sealant will be in contact with. The oxide surface of the core metal is typically breached by a multitude of small hard semiconductive or conductive particles, thus making low particle-to-particle contact resistance through the body.

Abstract: An n-type microcrystalline semiconductor alloy material including a band gap widening element; a method of fabricating p-type microcrystalline semiconductor alloy material including a band gap widening element; and electronic and photovoltaic devices incorporating said n-type and p-type materials.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method of manufacturing thermoelectric material which has the steps of quenching a thermoelectric alloy in a molten state at a quenching rate higher than 10.sup.3 .degree. C./sec into a membrane or powdery form and subjecting the membrane or powder to cold-forming or sintering. The thermoelectric alloy is a Bi--Sb series alloy having a composition represented by{(Bi.sub.100-x .multidot.Sb.sub.x).sub.100-y .multidot.E.sup.II.sub.y }.sub.100-z .multidot.E.sup.I.sub.zwhere E.sup.I represents a group III or group IV element, E.sup.II represents a group IV or group VI element, x represents a number of 5-20, y represents an integer of 0-20 and z represents a number of 0.05-10, respectively.

Abstract: A fluorinated, p-doped microcrystalline semiconductor alloy material; electronic devices incorporating said p-doped material; and the method for fabricating said p-doped material.

Abstract: The production of improved photoresponsive amorphous alloys and devices, such as photovoltaic, photoreceptive devices and the like; having improved wavelength threshold characteristics is made possible by adding one or more band gap adjusting elements to the alloys and devices. The adjusting element or elements are added at least to the active photoresponsive regions of amorphous devices containing silicone and fluorine, and preferably hydrogen. One adjusting element is germanium which narrows the band gap from that of the materials without the adjusting element incorporated therein. Other adjusting elements can be used such as tin. The silicon and adjusting elements are concurrently combined and deposited as amorphous alloys by vapor deposition, sputtering or glow discharge decomposition. The addition of fluorine bonding and electronegativity to the alloy acts as a compensating or altering element to reduce the density of states in the energy gap thereof.

Abstract: An amorphous silicon semiconductor of the general formula: a-Si.sub.(1-x-y) C.sub.x N.sub.y containing hydrogen and/or fluorine, which provides an amorphous silicon PIN junction photovoltaic device having an improved conversion efficiency when it is used as a P-type or N-type layer on the light impinging side of the PIN junction photovoltaic device. Also, the conversion efficiency of an amorphous silicon PIN junction photovoltaic device is improved by using a two-layer film structure of ITO and SnO.sub.2 as a transparent electrode for the photovoltaic device, with the SnO.sub.2 layer contacting the P or N layer. The improvement is particularly marked in the case of heterojunction photovoltaic devices.

Abstract: Preparation of amorphous semiconductor carbides that are suitable for use in a wide variety of devices by the pyrolytic decomposition of a mixture of one or more semiconductanes and one or more carbanes.

Abstract: Controllable doping of HgCdTe in concentrations low enough to be useful for electronic devices is accomplished by dissolving the desired dopant in mercury at or below the solubility limit. The mercury is then diluted with pure mercury, to lower the dopant concentration to that which will produce the desired impurity concentration in the end product. The doped mercury is then compounded according to conventional methods, to produce reproducibly doped HgCdTe of uniform composition.

Abstract: The problem of CdTe sticking to quartz boats is avoided by preventing any presence of cadmium oxides in the as-compounded CdTe. This is accomplished by distilling the cadmium under a high vacuum immediately prior to the CdTe compounding step.

Abstract: A new crystalline modification of germanium is described, as well as a method of manufacturing it. This new crystalline germanium modification has an orthorhombic structure and graphite-like properties.

Abstract: A novel pseudobinary alloy of Pb.sub.1-x M.sub.x S, wherein 0<x<1 and M is selected from the group consisting of Sr and Ca, exists as a single phase at all compositions. With change in composition of Pb.sub.1-x Sr.sub.x S, the energy gap at 300K has been found to change continuously from 0.4 eV for PbS to 4.6 eV for SrS. For compositions with x.ltoreq.0.2, p-type and n-type thin films have been prepared by doping with Tl or Ag and with Bi, respectively. Similar single phase behavior and composition dependence of the energy gap is found with Pb.sub.1-x Ca.sub.x S.