Formation and growth of semiconductor PbTe nanocrystals in a borosilicate glass matrix

Pb- and Te-doped borosilicate glasses are transformed by appropriate heat treatment into a composite material consisting of a vitreous matrix in which semiconductor PbTe nanocrystals are embedded. This composite exhibits interesting non-linear optical properties in the infrared region, in the range 10-20 000 Angstrom. The shape and size distribution of the nanocrystals and the kinetics of their growth were studied by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) during in situ isothermal treatment at 923 K. The experimental results indicate that nanocrystals are nearly spherical and have an average radius increasing from 16 to 33 Angstrom after 2 h at 923 K, the relative size dispersion being time-invariant and approximately equal to 8%. This investigation demonstrates that the kinetics of nanocrystal growth are governed by the classic mechanism of atomic diffusion. The radius of nanocrystals, deduced by applying the simple Efros & Efros [Sov. Phys. Semicond. (1982), 16, 772-775] model using the energy values corresponding to the exciton peaks of optical absorption spectra, does not agree with the average radius determined by SAXS.