Doped elongated semiconductors, growing such semiconductors, devices including such semiconductors and fabricating such devices

Abstract

A bulk-doped semiconductor that is at least one of the following: a single crystal, an elongated and bulk-doped semiconductor that, at any point along its longitudinal axis, has a largest cross-sectional dimension less than 500 nanometers, and a free-standing and bulk-doped semiconductor with at least one portion having a smallest width of less than 500 nanometers. Such a semiconductor may comprise an interior core comprising a first semiconductor; and an exterior shell comprising a different material than the first semiconductor. Such a semiconductor may be elongated and may have, at any point along a longitudinal section of such a semiconductor, a ratio of the length of the section to a longest width is greater than 4:1, or greater than 10:1, or greater than 100:1, or even greater than 1000:1. At least one portion of such a semiconductor may a smallest width of less than 200 nanometers, or less than 150 nanometers, or less than 100 nanometers, or less than 80 nanometers, or less than 70 nanometers, or less than 60 nanometers, or less than 40 nanometers, or less than 20 nanometers, or less than 10 nanometers, or even less than 5 nanometers. Such a semiconductor may be a single crystal and may be free-standing. Such a semiconductor may be either lightly n-doped, heavily n-doped, lightly p-doped or heavily p-doped. Such a semiconductor may be doped during growth. Such a semiconductor may be part of a device, which may include any of a variety of devices and combinations thereof, and a variety of assembling techniques may be used to fabricate devices from such a semiconductor. Two or more of such a semiconductors, including an array of such semiconductors, may be combined to form devices, for example, to form a crossed p-n junction of a device. Such devices at certain sizes may exhibit quantum confinement and other quantum phenomena, and the wavelength of light emitted from one or more of such semiconductors may be controlled by selecting a width of such semiconductors. Such semiconductors and device made therefrom may be used for a variety of applications.

1 . A method of growing a a silicon nanowire, the method comprising an act of:
 (A) doping the silicon nanowire during growth of the silicon nanowire with a boron dopant or a phosphorous dopant to form a nanowire consisting essentially of silicon and the boron dopant or the phosphorous dopant.   
     
     
         2 .- 4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein act (A) comprises:
 controlling an extent of the doping.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein act (A) comprises growing the doped silicon nanowire by applying laser energy to a collection of molecules, the collection of molecules comprising molecules of silicon and molecules of the dopant. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein act (A) comprises an act of:
 controlling an extent of the doping.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the act of controlling an extent of the doping comprises controlling a ratio of an amount of the silicon molecules to an amount of the dopant molecules. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein act (A) further comprises:
 vaporizing the collection of molecules using a laser to form vaporized molecules.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein act (A) further comprises:
 growing the silicon nanowire from the vaporized molecules.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein act (A) further comprises:
 condensing the vaporized molecules into a liquid cluster.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein act (A) further comprises:
 growing the silicon nanowire from the liquid cluster.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein act (A) is performed using laser-assisted catalytic growth. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the collection of molecules comprises a cluster of molecules of a catalyst material. 
     
     
         15 .- 27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the silicon nanowire is grown catalytically from a catalyst particle. 
     
     
         29 . A method of growing a silicon nanowire, the method comprising an act of:
 (A) doping the silicon nanowire during growth of the silicon nanowire with a phosphorous dopant.