Laser Formation of Colloidal Sulfur- and Carbon-Doped Silicon Nanoparticles

Unique sulfur- and carbon- doped silicon nanoparticles, as well as partially oxidized, are obtained by nanosecond laser ablation of silicon in liquid carbon disulfide. Detailed structural, chemical, and optical characterization of these particles was performed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, IR spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and Raman scattering spectroscopy. It is shown that the sulfur concentration in particles is on the order of 1 at %, owing to which they demonstrate a considerable absorption in the mid-IR region.