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Faq #1: Are semiconductor nanostructures known by other names?

Question: Are semiconductor nanostructures known by other names?

Answer: Semiconductor nanostructures are know by a plethora of names. Some of these are:

1.

Semiconductor Nanostructures

2.

Nanocrystalline Semiconductors

3.

Semiconductor Clusters

4.

Semiconductor Quantum Dots or simply Semiconductor Dots

5.

Semiconductor Quantum Drop!

6.

Zero-Dimensional Semiconductors

7.

Mesoscopic Semiconductors

8.

Artificial Atoms (also used in the case of metals)

9.

Caged Semiconductors (also used for fullerenes etc.)

10.

QUEST (Quantized Electronic Structure)

11.

Quantum Particle or Q-particle.

12.

Coloumb Islands (also used in the case of metals)

13.

Porous Silicon (for a popular form of nanocrystalline silicon aggregates). This again is known by a variety of names, e.g. $\Pi$-Silicon (named so by Prof. David Lockwood).

As one can see some of the names are exotic and maybe employed to impress fellow scientists at social gatherings or to suitably stupefy funding agencies.

Our favorite is Digital Materials. The energy spectra is discrete (digital) and to be distinguished from digital devices which are usually made from bulk ($\geq$ 1 micron) semiconductors.

1999-01-04