242 results about "Porous semiconductors" patented technology

A process for producing a semiconductor article is provided which comprises the steps of bonding a film onto a substrate having a porous semiconductor layer, and separating the film from the substrate at the porous semiconductor layer by applying a force to the film in a peeling direction.

A method for the fabrication of a three-dimensional thin-film semiconductor substrate with selective through-holes is provided. A porous semiconductor layer is conformally formed on a semiconductor template comprising a plurality of three-dimensional inverted pyramidal surface features defined by top surface areas aligned along a (100) crystallographic orientation plane of the semiconductor template and a plurality of inverted pyramidal cavities defined by sidewalls aligned along the (111) crystallographic orientation plane of the semiconductor template. An epitaxial semiconductor layer is conformally formed on the porous semiconductor layer. The epitaxial semiconductor layer is released from the semiconductor template. Through-holes are selectively formed in the epitaxial semiconductor layer with openings between the front and back lateral surface planes of the epitaxial semiconductor layer to form a partially transparent three-dimensional thin-film semiconductor substrate.

The invention provides methods used to analyze the contents of a biological sample, such as blood serum, with cascade Raman sensing. A fluorescence producing nanoporous biosensor having probes that bind specifically to known analytes is contacted with a biological sample and one or more bound complexes coupled to the porous semiconductor structure are formed. The bound complexes are contacted with a Raman-active probe that binds specifically to the bound complexes and the biosensor is illuminated to generate fluorescent emissions from the biosensor. These fluorescent emissions generate Raman signals from the bound complexes. The Raman signals produced by the bound complexes are detected and the Raman signal associated with a bound protein-containing analyte is indicative of the presence of the protein-containing compound in the sample. The invention methods are useful to provide a protein profile of a patient sample. The invention also provides detection systems useful to practice the invention methods.

The present invention provides a filter with which organic matter, bacteria, viruses, and other harmful substances can be trapped, and the trapped material can be sterilized and decomposed, at low cost and extremely high efficiency. A porous ceramic or metal is used as a substrate, and a porous semiconductor composed of a semiconductor material having a light emitting function is formed in the interior or on the surface of this substrate. An electrode is provided to this product to serve as a filter, voltage is applied so that ultraviolet light is emitted while a fluid is being filtered, and any harmful substances are filtered and simultaneously sterilized and decomposed. The porous semiconductor layer is preferably composed of columns grown perpendicular to the substrate plane, and has the function of emitting ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 400 nm or less. The pores in the porous substrate column are through-holes perpendicular to the substrate plane, and the average size of these pores is preferably from 0.1 to 100 μm. The distal ends of the columns preferably have a pointed shape. To manufacture, a suspension of semiconductor particles having a light emitting function is filtered through the porous substrate serving as a filter medium so as to form a deposited layer of semiconductor particles on the porous substrate surface. A deposited layer of p-type semiconductor particles and a deposited layer of n-type semiconductor particles may also be formed so that these form a pn junction. Further, the present invention is characterized in that an insulating layer is formed on the top and bottom surfaces of the porous semiconductor layer, and semiconductor particles are dispersed in the insulating layer, with the bandgap of the semiconductor particles in the porous light emitting layer or the porous semiconductor layer being at least 3.2 eV, and being doped with gadolinium, which is the light emitting center.

In addition, the porous semiconductor layer may be made of porous silicon nitride composed of columnar Si₃N₄ particles with an average aspect ratio of at least 3 and an oxide-based binder phase containing at least one of rare earth element, and emit visible light or ultraviolet light.

A photovoltaic cell comprises: an anode electrode including a conductive support and a porous semiconductor layer; a photosensitive dye; a charge transport layer; and a counter electrode support, wherein the anode electrode has the property of causing cathode luminescence having a luminous peak wavelength in a visible region and shows a haze rate H of 60% or more at a wavelength in the visible region.

A biological sensor which includes: a porous semiconductor structure comprising a central layer interposed between upper and lower layers, each of the upper and lower layers including strata of alternating porosity; and one or more probes coupled to the porous semiconductor structure, the one or more probes binding to a target molecule, whereby a detectable change occurs in a refractive index of the biological sensor upon binding of the one or more probes to the target molecule. Methods of making the biological sensor and methods of using the same are disclosed, as is a detection device which includes such a biological sensor.

A method of manufacture for optical spectral filters with omnidirectional properties in the visible, near IR, mid IR and/or far IR (infrared) spectral ranges is based on the formation of large arrays of coherently modulated waveguides by electrochemical etching of a semiconductor wafer to form a pore array. Further processing of said porous semiconductor wafer optimizes the filtering properties of such a material. The method of filter manufacturing is large scale compatible and economically favorable. The resulting exemplary non-limiting illustrative filters are stable, do not degrade over time, do not exhibit material delamination problems and offer superior transmittance for use as bandpass, band blocking and narrow-bandpass filters. Such filters are useful for a wide variety of applications including but not limited to spectroscopy, optical communications, astronomy and sensing.

A dye-sensitized solar cell formed by layering a conductive layer; a photoelectric conversion layer in which a dye is adsorbed in a porous semiconductor layer and the layer is filled with a carrier transporting material; and a counter electrode including only a counter electrode conductive layer or including a catalyst layer and a counter electrode conductive layer on a support made of a light transmitting material,

• • in which the photoelectric conversion layer is brought into contact with the counter electrode; the porous semiconductor layer forming the photoelectric conversion layer has two or more layers with different light scattering properties; and the two or more porous semiconductor layers are layered in an order of from a layer with lower light scattering property to a layer with higher light scattering property from a light receiving face side of the dye-sensitized solar cell.

A dye-sensitized solar cell module comprising: a plurality of electrically series-connected solar cells having a first conductive layer formed on an insulating substrate; a photoelectric conversion device formed on the first conductive layer; and a second conductive layer formed on the photoelectric conversion device, wherein the photoelectric conversion device has a photoelectric conversion layer having a porous semiconductor layer adsorbing a dye, a carrier transporting layer and a catalyst layer and the dye-sensitized solar cell module is characterized in that the second conductive layer of the above-described one solar cell contacts the first conductive layer of an adjacent another solar cell and the photoelectric conversion device of the above-described adjacent another solar cell contacts the second conductive layer of the above-described one solar cell.

Provided are an electron emitter continuously emitting electrons stably even in the atmosphere, a charger using the electron emitter, and a charging method using the charger. The electron emitter includes a electron emitting element consisting of a first electrode, a second electrode, and a semiconductor layer formed therebetween, and a power supply for alternately applying a positive voltage enabling electron emission and a negative voltage having a polarity opposite to the positive voltage. At least a part of the surface on the first electrode side of the semiconductor layer is formed of a porous semiconductor layer. Electrons captured in the porous semiconductor layer in the course of electron emission with application of a positive voltage disturb electron emission from the electron emitting element. Such electrons, however, are removed by application of a negative voltage.

The invention provides a composite material comprising a porous semiconductor impregnated with at least one beneficial organic substance, wherein the beneficial organic substance is present in an amount of at least 15% by weight, based on the weight of the material. Also provided are methods for the preparation of such materials, pharmaceutical compositions comprising them and their use in methods of treatment.

A method of forming a nanoscale three-dimensional pattern in a porous semiconductor includes providing a film comprising a semiconductor material and defining a nanoscale metal pattern on the film, where the metal pattern has at least one lateral dimension of about 100 nm or less in size. Semiconductor material is removed from below the nanoscale metal pattern to create trenches in the film having a depth-to-width aspect ratio of at least about 10:1, while pores are formed in remaining portions of the film adjacent to the trenches. A three-dimensional pattern having at least one nanoscale dimension is thus formed in a porous semiconductor, which may be porous silicon. The method can be extended to form self-integrated porous low-k dielectric insulators with copper interconnects, and may also facilitate wafer level chip scale packaging integration.

A biological sensor which includes: a macroporous semiconductor structure comprising a central layer interposed between upper and lower layers, each of the upper and lower layers including strata of alternating porosity; and one or more probes coupled to the porous semiconductor structure, the one or more probes binding to a target molecule, whereby a detectable change occurs in a refractive index of the biological sensor upon binding of the one or more probes to the target molecule. Methods of making the biological sensor and methods of using the same are disclosed, as is a detection device which includes such a biological sensor.

In a dye sensitizing solar cell 1 wherein an electrolyte 4 is filled in a space between a photoelectrode 2 and a counter electrode 3, recesses 8 are formed in the surface 5a of a substrate member 5 of the photoelectrode 2, and a transparent electrode film 6 is formed on the surface of the substrate member 5 to form recessed portions 10 in the transparent electrode film 6. On the transparent electrode film 6 of the photoelectrode 2 with this construction, a porous semiconductor electrode film 7 is formed, and a sensitizing dye is absorbed and carried on the porous semiconductor electrode film 7.

In some embodiments, the present invention provides compositions that comprise: (1) a biodegradable polymer matrix; and (2) at least one biodegradable reinforcing particle that is dispersed in the matrix. In some embodiments, the biodegradable reinforcing particle is selected from the group consisting of porous oxide particles and porous semiconductor particles. In additional embodiments, the compositions of the present invention further comprise a (3) porogen particle that is also dispersed in the matrix. In further embodiments, the compositions of the present invention are also associated with one or more active agents. In various embodiments, the active agents are associated with the biodegradable polymer matrix, the biodegradable reinforcing particle, and/or the porogen particle. In various embodiments, the compositions of the present invention may be utilized as scaffolds, such as scaffolds for treating bone defects. Further embodiments of the present invention pertain to methods of making the compositions of the present invention.

In one embodiment, a method of forming a semiconductor device includes forming a first porous semiconductor layer over a top surface of a substrate. A first epitaxial layer is formed over the first porous semiconductor layer. A circuitry is formed within and over the first epitaxial layer. The circuitry is formed without completely oxidizing the first epitaxial layer.

A dye-sensitized solar cell module which is characterized by providing a pair of opposed substrates 10 and 17 in which at least one of the substrates is transparent and a plurality of conductive layers 11 and 18 are formed in parallel with one another on the each opposed surface of the substrates, a plurality of adjacent photoelectric conversion devices 1a and 1b formed in a state of being electrically connected in series between the pair of conductive substrates 11 and 17, and insulating layers 16 formed between the adjacent photoelectric conversion devices 1a and 1b, wherein the photoelectric conversion devices 1a and 1b have a porous semiconductor layer 12 adsorbing a dye, an electrolyte layer 13 and a catalyst layer 14 and the insulating layer 16 is formed by dividing into two or more times in the direction of a substrate thickness.