Semiconductor Nanostructures for Electronic and Opto‐Electronic Device Applications

Abstract

During the E-MRS 2019 spring meeting, held in Nice, we organized the 7th installment of the symposium ‘Semiconductor Nanostructures for electronic and opto-electronic device applications’. The symposium covered a broad range of organic and inorganic semiconductor materials, as well as novel (opto-)electronic devices based on such materials. Topical sessions were organized, focused on 0D colloidal nanocrystals, 1D nanowires, and 2D layered materials and quantum wells, as well as their application in light emitting diodes and lasers, photodetectors and solar cells, and electronic devices. To bridge the gap between materials and applications, the symposium also included presentations on light-matter interactions in nanostructured materials. This special section publishes selected papers from the symposium. A feature article is presented by Martinez et al., who discuss recent developments on the use of HgTe colloidal quantum dots for infrared photodetectors (article number 1900449). Original reports are presented on the properties of SnC nanowires (article number 1900590), and Au-decorated Fe2O3 nanostructures (article number 1900589). In addition, methods are discussed to prepare silica and silicon thin films (article number 1900556) and evaluate the contact resistance in four-probe measurements (article number 1900579). Regarding applications, the issue includes the fabrication and characterization of quantum dot-sensitized organic scintillators (article number 1900586). Iwan Moreels was a Ph.D. student and postdoctoral fellow at Ghent University. In January 2012 he joined the Italian Institute of Technology, where he became a tenure track researcher in 2014 and set up the Nanocrystal Photonics Lab. In 2017 he returned to Ghent University as associate professor at the Department of Chemistry. His research is focused on colloidal 2D semiconductor nanocrystals. The broad perspective is to find nanomaterial solutions for different applications, from advanced fluorescent markers to light-emitting devices, sensors and solar energy. Sergio Brovelli is Associate Professor at the Department of Materials Science of the University of Milano-Bicocca and co-founder & chair of the scientific committee of Glass to Power srl. He earned his Ph.D. in Materials Science (2006) at the University of Milano-Bicocca. Before being tenured as Professor of Experimental Physics, he was a postdoctoral Fellow at University College London and Director's Fellow at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. In 2017, he received the National Italian Habilitation for Full Professorship in Experimental Physics. His research group is focused on the synthesis, manipulation and advanced spectroscopy of solution-grown nanostructured functional materials and their application in photonic and optoelectronic devices. Jean-Charles Ribierre is professor at the College of Optical Science and Engineering in Zhejiang University. His research activities focus on the physics of organic semiconductors and their applications in optoelectronic devices, including organic field-effect transistors, organic light-emitting diodes and organic solid-state lasers. His current activities are strongly supported by the Hundred Talents programme of Zhejiang University and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). Iván Mora-Seró (Ph.D. Physics 2004) is researcher at Universitat Jaume I de Castelló (Spain). His research is focused on crystal growth, nanostructured devices, transport and recombination properties, photocatalysis, electrical characterization of photovoltaic, electrochromic, and water splitting systems. Recent research activities are focused on new concepts for photovoltaic conversion and light emission (LEDs and light amplifiers) based on nanoscaled devices and semiconductor materials following two main lines: semiconductor quantum dots and lead halide perovskites.