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.

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.

Various embodiment include optical and optoelectronic devices and methods of making same. Under one aspect, an optical device includes an integrated circuit having an array of conductive regions, and an optically sensitive material over at least a portion of the integrated circuit and in electrical communication with at least one conductive region of the array of conductive regions. Under another aspect, a film includes a network of fused nanocrystals, the nanocrystals having a core and an outer surface, wherein the core of at least a portion of the fused nanocrystals is in direct physical contact and electrical communication with the core of at least one adjacent fused nanocrystal, and wherein the film has substantially no defect states in the regions where the cores of the nanocrystals are fused. Additional devices and methods are described.

An apparatus for detecting an object capable of emitting light. The apparatus includes a light source and a waveguide. The waveguide includes a core layer and a first cladding layer. At least one nanowell is formed in at least the first cladding layer. The apparatus further includes a light detector. The light detector can detect a light emitted from a single molecule object contained in the at least one nanowell.

A photodetector has a photoactive layer of semiconducting inorganic nanoparticles positioned between a hole transport electron blocking layer of a first metal oxide and an electron transport hole blocking layer of a second metal oxide. The nanoparticles are responsive to electromagnetic radiation in at least the infrared region of the spectrum. The first metal oxide can be NiO, and the second metal oxide can be ZnO or TiO.sub.2. The metal oxide layers render the photodetector stable in air, even in the absence of an encapsulating coating around the photodetector. The photodetector has a P-I-N structure.

The disclosure relates to a device for single molecule detection. The device includes a chamber having an inputting hole and an outputting hole, a carrier including a substrate and a metal layer located on the substrate, a detection device, and a controlling computer. The carrier includes a substrate and a metal layer on the substrate, wherein the substrate includes a base and a patterned bulge located on a surface of the base, the patterned bulge includes a number of strip-shaped bulges intersected with each other to form a net and define a number of holes, and the metal layer is located on the patterned bulge. The carrier for single molecule detection has a relative higher SERS and can enhance the Raman scattering.

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.

The present disclosure relates to a method for making nanoscale heterostructure. The method includes: providing a support and forming a first carbon nanotube layer on the support, and the first carbon nanotube layer comprises a plurality of first source carbon nanotubes; forming a semiconductor layer on the first carbon nanotube layer; covering a second carbon nanotube layer on the semiconductor layer, and the second carbon nanotube layer comprises a plurality of second source carbon nanotubes; finding and labeling a first carbon nanotube in the first carbon nanotube layer and a second carbon nanotube in the second carbon nanotube layer; removing the plurality of first source carbon nanotubes and the plurality of second source carbon nanotubes; and annealing the multilayer structure.

A composite quantum-dot photodetector comprising a substrate with a colloidally deposited thin film structure forming a photosensitive region, the thin film containing at least one type of a nanocrystal quantum-dot, whereby the nanocrystal quantum dots are spaced by ligands to form a lattice, and the lattice of the quantum dots has an infill material that forms an inorganic matrix that isolates the nanocrystal quantum dots from atmospheric exposure.

A silicon-based quantum dot device (1) is disclosed. The device comprises a substrate (8) and a layer (7) of silicon or silicon-germanium supported on the substrate which is configured to provide at least one quantum dot (5.sub.1, 5.sub.2: FIG. 5). The layer of silicon or silicon-germanium has a thickness of no more than ten monolayers. The layer of silicon or silicon-germanium may have a thickness of no more than eight or five monolayers.