Nanodiamonds for device applications - An investigation of the properties of boron-doped detonation nanodiamonds
At a Glance
Section titled āAt a Glanceā| Metadata | Details |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | 2018-02-13 |
| Journal | Scientific Reports |
| Authors | Abdulkareem Afandi, Ashley Howkins, Ian W. Boyd, Richard B. Jackman |
| Institutions | Brunel University of London, University College London |
| Citations | 47 |
Abstract
Section titled āAbstractāAbstract The inclusion of boron within nanodiamonds to create semiconducting properties would create a new class of applications in the field of nanodiamond electronics. Theoretical studies have differed in their conclusions as to whether nm-scale NDs would support a stable substitutional boron state, or whether such a state would be unstable, with boron instead aggregating or attaching to edge structures. In the present study detonation-derived NDs with purposefully added boron during the detonation process have been studied with a wide range of experimental techniques. The DNDs are of ~4 nm in size, and have been studied with CL, PL, Raman and IR spectroscopies, AFM and HR-TEM and electrically measured with impedance spectroscopy; it is apparent that the B-DNDs studied here do indeed support substitutional boron species and hence will be acting as semiconducting diamond nanoparticles. Evidence for moderate doping levels in some particles (~10 17 B cm ā3 ), is found alongside the observation that some particles are heavily doped (~10 20 B cm ā3 ) and likely to be quasi-metallic in character. The current study has therefore shown that substitutional boron doping in nm NDs is in fact possible, opening-up the path to a whole host of new applications for this interesting class of nano-particles.