Semiconductor Nanostructures: Phase Separation, Self-Assembly, and 3D Quantum Dot Crystals

Recently, semiconductor nanostructures have shown significant promise for a wide range of electronic, optoelectronic, and photovoltaic applications. In this talk, I will discuss various methods for synthesizing semiconductor nanostructures, including phase separation-induced alloy nanostructures and strain-induced self-assembled quantum dots. I will show how we have used these nanostructures for fundamental studies of the mechanisms of amorphous-crystalline transitions and alloy phase separation, as well as the first direct atom level measurements of very short interdiffusion and segregation lengths [1,2]. I will also present a novel scheme for the design and synthesis of three-dimensional quantum dot crystals.