University of Maryland researchers have created a completely new way to produce high quality semiconductor materials critical for advanced microelectronics and nanotechnology. Published in the March 26 issue of Science, their research is a fundamental step forward in nanomaterials science that could lead to significant advances in computer chips, photovoltaic cells, biomarkers and other applications, according to the authors and other experts.
Led by Min Ouyang, an assistant professor in the department of physics, the University of Maryland team has created a process that uses chemical thermodynamics to produce a broad range of different combination materials, each with a shell of structurally perfect mono-crystal semiconductor around a metal core.