One-pot heat-up synthesis of short-wavelength infrared, colloidal InAs quantum dots

Abstract

III-V colloidal quantum dots (QDs) promise Pb and Hg-free QD compositions with which to build short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) optoelectronic devices. However, their synthesis is limited by the availability of group-V precursors with controllable reactivities to prepare monodisperse, SWIR-absorbing III-V QDs. Here, we report a one-pot heat-up method to synthesize ∼8 nm edge length (∼6.5 nm in height) tetrahedral, SWIR-absorbing InAs QDs by increasing the [In3+]:[As3+] ratio introduced using commercially available InCl3 and AsCl3 precursors and by decreasing the concentration and optimizing the volume of the reducing reagent superhydride to control the concentration of In(0) and As(0) intermediates through QD nucleation and growth. InAs QDs are treated with NOBF4, and their deposited films are exchanged with Na2S to yield n-type InAs QD films. We realize the only colloidal InAs QD photoconductors with responsivity at the technologically important wavelength of 1.55 μm.