A floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition system produces nanotubes. The system includes a reaction chamber, a heater for heating a nanotube-material precursor and a catalyst precursor, and an injector for injecting the precursors into the chamber. In the chamber, the catalyst precursor is pyrolysed to produce catalyst particles, and the nanotube-material precursor is pyrolysed in the presence of the catalyst particles in order to produce nanotubes. A controller controls at least one operational parameter, e.g., injection temperatures of the precursors, flow rates of carrier gases of the precursors, and a reaction temperature of the chamber and of the precursors. An injection pipe extends into the chamber to an adjustable extent in order to control the injection temperature of the catalyst precursor and/or the nanotube-material precursor.

A nucleation structure for the epitaxial growth of three-dimensional semiconductor elements, including a substrate including a monocrystalline material forming a growth surface, a plurality of intermediate portions made of an intermediate crystalline material epitaxied from the growth surface and defining an upper intermediate surface, and a plurality of nucleation portions, made of a material including a transition metal forming a nucleation crystalline material, each epitaxied from the upper intermediate surface, and defining a nucleation surface suitable for the epitaxial growth of a three-dimensional semiconductor element.

Provided herein are methods for forming one or more silicon nanostructures, such as silicon nanotubes, and a silica-containing glass substrate. As a result of the process used to prepare the silicon nanostructures, the silica-containing glass substrate comprises one or more nanopillars and the one or more silicon nanostructures extend from the nanopillars of the silica-containing glass substrate. The silicon nanostructures include nanotubes and optionally nanowires. A further aspect is a method for preparing silicon nanostructures on a silica-containing glass substrate. The method includes providing one or more metal nanoparticles on a silica-containing glass substrate and then performing reactive ion etching of the silica-containing glass substrate under conditions that are suitable for the formation of one or more silicon nanostructures.

An assembly for the deposition of silicon nanostructures comprising a deposition chamber, which is defined by a side wall and by two end walls; a microwave generator, which is adapted to generate microwaves inside the deposition chamber; an electromagnetic termination wall, made of a conductor material and reflecting the microwave radiation, which is such as to create a termination for a TE-mode waveguide and is housed inside the deposition chamber; and a substrate-carrier support, which is made of a dielectric material and on which the substrate is housed on which to perform the growth of silicon nanostructures. The substrate-carrier support is arranged inside the deposition chamber above the termination wall.

An epitaxial growing device to increase the speed of epitaxial deposition comprises a cavity comprising a reaction chamber, a gas supply unit, a vacuum pumping unit, a first electrode, a second electrode, and a carbon nanotube structure. A gas supply unit and the vacuum pumping unit are connected to the reaction chamber, the first electrode, the second electrode, and the carbon nanotube structure being located in the reaction chamber. The carbon nanotube structure is electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode and suspended through the first electrode and the second electrode and is heatable in itself. A method for growing an epitaxial layer using such device is also provided.

One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for producing an angle-independent colloidal particles-based structure, the method having: preparing two or more types of hollow colloidal particles, wherein the types are distinguished based on a size of the hollow colloidal particles thereof, wherein the types have different particle sizes; and dispersing the at least two types of hollow colloidal particles to produce an amorphous structure, wherein the amorphous structure realizes the same color independently of an angle of an incident light thereto.

A method for fabricating porous wire-in-tube (WiT) nanostructures including forming a first porous core-shell nanostructure, forming a second porous core-shell nanostructure by increasing thickness and porosity of the porous core-shell nanostructure, and forming a porous WiT nanostructure by etching the second porous core-shell nanostructure. Forming the first porous core-shell nanostructure may include forming a porous layer on a semi-conductive core by depositing a first plurality of particles on the semi-conductive core and generating an initial porous semi-conductive core by etching the semi-conductive core simultaneously with forming the porous layer.

A nanostructured material includes carbon nanoparticles (CNPs), such as carbon nanotube particles (CNTs) or carbon nanofiber particles (CNFs), intercalated by intercalation nanoparticles (INPs), such as halloysite nanoparticles (HNPs), in a base material, such as a polymer. A method for making the nanostructured material includes the steps of: providing a mixture of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) having a selected composition; providing intercalation nanoparticles (INPs) configured to intercalate the carbon nanoparticles (CNPs); intercalating the carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) by mixing the intercalation nanoparticles (INPs) in a selected CNP:HNP ratio to form an intercalated material; and combining the intercalated material in a base material in a selected concentration with the base material providing a matrix for the intercalated material.

A method for making a nanostructured material includes the steps of: providing a mixture of carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) having a selected composition; providing intercalation nanoparticles (INPs) configured to intercalate the carbon nanoparticles (CNPs); intercalating the carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) by mixing the intercalation nanoparticles (INPs) in a selected CNP:HNP ratio to form an intercalated material; and combining the intercalated material in a base material in a selected concentration with the base material providing a matrix for the intercalated material.

A method of preparing a boron nitride material, such as boron nitride (BN) or boron carbonitride (BCN), is provided. The method may include providing a substrate, and sublimating an amine borane complex onto the substrate to obtain the boron nitride material. The amine borane complex may include, but is not limited to, borazine, amino borane, trimethylamine borane and triethylamine borane. In addition, the temperature at which the sublimating is carried out may be varied to control composition of the boron nitride material formed. In addition, various morphologies can be obtained by using the present method, namely films, nanotubes and porous foam.