title: Luminescent colloidal silicon suspensions from porous silicon.
abstract: A procedure for generating colloidal suspensions of Si that exhibit luminescence, attributed to quantum confinement effects, is described. Samples of n- or p-type Si that have been electrochemically etched to form porous Si can be ultrasonically dispersed into methylene chloride, acetonitrile, methanol, toluene, or water solvents, forming a suspension of fine Si particles that luminesce. Transmission electron microscopy analyses show that the Si particles have irregular shapes, with diameters ranging from many micrometers to nanometers. Luminescent, composite polystyrene/Si films can be made by the addition of polystyrene to a toluene suspension of the Si nanoparticles and casting of the resulting solution onto a glass slide.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Heinrich
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Curtis
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Credo
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Sailor
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Kavanagh