Semiconductor nanowires for high efficiency solar cells and other dreams

Synopsis

Semiconductor nanowires are fascinating crystalline structures with dimensions in the nanometer range. This talk will focus on how we make such tiny structures, how we measure them and a few of the exciting applications that they can be considered for.  I will discuss the growth method that enables us to achieve axial and radial growth of these tiny structures, and how we alter their electrical properties by the addition of dopants.  I will also highlight the use of an electron nanoprobe for measuring the electrical properties of these structures, particularly the properties that could be useful for a solar cell device. Finally I will briefly discuss the potential use of zinc oxide semiconductor nanowires as qubits for quantum computing applications.