Abstract: A method of making silicon oxide nanoparticles possessing photoluminescence in the blue and green part of the visible spectrum when irradiated with ultraviolet (UV) light. The silicon oxide nanoparticles are formed in a chamber containing a direct current (dc) electric arc that generates a plasma in an oxygen-containing atmosphere. In the chamber, silicon is used as the anode, and the cathode can be copper (Cu) or tungsten (W). The use of silicon as an electrode is enabled by doping silicon with boron to a sufficiently high electronic conductivity, and orienting the two electrodes vertically in the chamber, so that the silicon anode is lowermost to contain silicon in the anode when it melts and vaporizes in the arc. The silicon oxide nanoparticles are collected on a cold plate adjacent to the arc.

Abstract: A method of making silicon oxide nanoparticles possessing photoluminescence in the blue and green part of the visible spectrum when irradiated with ultraviolet (UV) light. The silicon oxide nanoparticles are formed in a chamber containing a direct current (dc) electric arc that generates a plasma in an oxygen-containing atmosphere. In the chamber, silicon is used as the anode, and the cathode can be copper (Cu) or tungsten (W). The use of silicon as an electrode is enabled by doping silicon with boron to a sufficiently high electronic conductivity, and orienting the two electrodes vertically in the chamber, so that the silicon anode is lowermost to contain silicon in the anode when it melts and vaporizes in the arc. The silicon oxide nanoparticles are collected on a cold plate adjacent to the arc.

Abstract: An amorphous, stoichiometric, native, semiconductor oxide layer, with a sharp interface between the oxide layer and the substrate, is grown by directing electrons toward a semiconductor substrate in the presence of oxygen. The source of electrons may be a simple filament. This invention may be implemented with standard plasma growth techniques by extracting the electrons from the plasma production region and directing them to the substrate.