This invention relates to a thermoelectric material constituted of nanostructures and a thermoelectric element and an optical sensor including the same, as well as to a method for manufacturing a thermoelectric material constituted of nanostructures. An object of the present disclosure is to achieve better thermoelectric characteristics of the thermoelectric material containing nanoparticles. The thermoelectric material includes a first material having a band gap and a second material different from the first material. The thermoelectric material contains a plurality of nanoparticles distributed in a base material which is a mixture of the first material and the second material. A composition of the second material in the thermoelectric material is not lower than 0.01 atomic % and not higher than 2.0 atomic % of the thermoelectric material.

A digital quantum dot radiographic detection system described herein includes: a scintillation subsystem 202 and a semiconductor light detection subsystem 200, 200 (including a plurality of quantum dot image sensors 200a, 200b). In a first preferred digital quantum dot radiographic detection system, the plurality of quantum dot image sensors 200 is in substantially direct contact with the scintillation subsystem 202. In a second preferred digital quantum dot radiographic detection system, the scintillation subsystem has a plurality of discrete scintillation packets 212a, 212b, at least one of the discrete scintillation packets communicating with at least one of the quantum dot image sensors. The quantum dot image sensors 200 may be associated with semiconductor substrate 210 made from materials such as silicon (and variations thereof) or graphene.

The discrimination ability of a chemical sensing cross-reactive arrays is enhanced by constructing sensing elements in two dimensions, first in the x-y plane of the substrate, second in the z dimension so that the sensors are vertically stacked on top of one another. Stacking sensing elements on top of one another adds to the discrimination ability by enabling the characteristic measurement of how fast target chemicals are passing through the stack of sensors. The new invention also allows the ability to discriminate components in a sample mixture by separating them using their innate difference in diffusional rates. Multi-sensor response patterns at each z level of sensors and time delay information from the sample passing from one level to the next are used to generate the response vector. The response vector is used to identify individual component samples and components in a mixture sample.

A digital quantum dot radiographic detection system described herein includes: a scintillation subsystem 202 and a semiconductor light detection subsystem 200, 200 (including a plurality of quantum dot image sensors 200a, 200b). In a first preferred digital quantum dot radiographic detection system, the plurality of quantum dot image sensors 200 is in substantially direct contact with the scintillation subsystem 202. In a second preferred digital quantum dot radiographic detection system, the scintillation subsystem has a plurality of discrete scintillation packets 212a, 212b, at least one of the discrete scintillation packets communicating with at least one of the quantum dot image sensors. The quantum dot image sensors 200 may be associated with semiconductor substrate 210 made from materials such as silicon (and variations thereof) or graphene. An optically opaque layer 220 is preferably positioned between the discrete scintillation packets, 212a, 212b.

A digital quantum dot radiographic detection system described herein includes: a scintillation subsystem 202 and a semiconductor light detection subsystem 200, 200 (including a plurality of quantum dot image sensors 200a, 200b). In a first preferred digital quantum dot radiographic detection system, the plurality of quantum dot image sensors 200 is in substantially direct contact with the scintillation subsystem 202. In a second preferred digital quantum dot radiographic detection system, the scintillation subsystem has a plurality of discrete scintillation packets 212a, 212b, at least one of the discrete scintillation packets communicating with at least one of the quantum dot image sensors. The quantum dot image sensors 200 may be associated with semiconductor substrate 210 made from materials such as silicon (and variations thereof) or graphene.

A semiconductor device including a semiconductor layer that includes an active region, semiconductor elements that are formed using the active region, connection regions that are obtained by metalizing parts of the semiconductor layer in an island shape isolated from the active region, an insulation film that is formed to cover one main surface side of the semiconductor layer, electrodes that are disposed to face the semiconductor elements and the connection regions via the insulation film, and contacts that penetrate through the insulation film to be selectively formed in portions according to necessity among portions that connect the semiconductor elements or the connection regions to the electrodes.

A digital quantum dot radiographic detection system described herein includes: a scintillation subsystem 202 and a semiconductor light detection subsystem 200, 200 (including a plurality of quantum dot image sensors 200a, 200b). In a first preferred digital quantum dot radiographic detection system, the plurality of quantum dot image sensors 200 is in substantially direct contact with the scintillation subsystem 202. In a second preferred digital quantum dot radiographic detection system, the scintillation subsystem has a plurality of discrete scintillation packets 212a, 212b, at least one of the discrete scintillation packets communicating with at least one of the quantum dot image sensors. The quantum dot image sensors 200 may be associated with semiconductor substrate 210 made from materials such as silicon (and variations thereof) or graphene.

A semiconductor device including a semiconductor layer that includes an active region, semiconductor elements that are formed using the active region, connection regions that are obtained by metalizing parts of the semiconductor layer in an island shape isolated from the active region, an insulation film that is formed to cover one main surface side of the semiconductor layer, electrodes that are disposed to face the semiconductor elements and the connection regions via the insulation film, and contacts that penetrate through the insulation film to be selectively formed in portions according to necessity among portions that connect the semiconductor elements or the connection regions to the electrodes.

A digital quantum dot radiographic detection system described herein includes: a scintillation subsystem 202 and a semiconductor light detection subsystem 200, 200 (including a plurality of quantum dot image sensors 200a, 200b). In a first preferred digital quantum dot radiographic detection system, the plurality of quantum dot image sensors 200 is in substantially direct contact with the scintillation subsystem 202. In a second preferred digital quantum dot radiographic detection system, the scintillation subsystem has a plurality of discrete scintillation packets 212a, 212b, at least one of the discrete scintillation packets communicating with at least one of the quantum dot image sensors. The quantum dot image sensors 200 may be associated with semiconductor substrate 210 made from materials such as silicon (and variations thereof) or graphene.

A first plasmonic-nanostructure sensor pixel includes a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of metal pillars. The semiconductor substrate has a top surface and a photodiode region therebeneath. The plurality of metal pillars is at least partially embedded in the substrate and extends from the top surface in a direction substantially perpendicular to the top surface. A second plasmonic-nanostructure sensor pixel includes (a) a semiconductor substrate having a top surface, (b) an oxide layer on the top surface, (c) a thin-film coating between the top surface and the oxide layer, and (d) a plurality of metal nanoparticles (i) at least partially between the top surface and the oxide layer and (ii) at least partially embedded in at least one of the thin-film coating and the oxide layer. A third plasmonic-nanostructure sensor pixel includes features of both the first and second plasmonic-nanostructure sensor pixels.