COMPOSITION AND OPTICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ELECTROCHEMICALLY-SYNTHESIZED GaAs NANOCRYSTALS

Abstract

The synthesis of the GaAs nanoparticles, having sizes 7 nm to 15 nm, by a low cost electrochemical technique has been reported. The absence of any foreign impurity has been confirmed by the Proton-Induced X-rays Emission analysis. Rutherford Backscattering measurement has been performed in order to estimate the thickness of the nanoparticle-generated thin film as a function of the electrolysis current density. The X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopic study confirms the formation of GaAs and exhibits the binding energy shift of the core shell electrons as an implication of the nanostructure effect. Very weak infrared luminescence due to the radiative recombination of the impurity bound exciton has been detected from yttrium-doped GaAs nanocrystals, even at room temperature.