Ordered arrays of highly oriented single-crystal semiconductor nanoparticles on silicon substrates

One of the unsolved problems in the application of nanoparticle arrays is how to precisely control their macroscopic properties based on the microscopic properties of their basic component-the individual nanoparticle. Thus it is highly desirable to fabricate arrays of perfect iso-nanoparticles, which are defined as particles of the same size, structure, and ambient condition. Here we show that ordered semiconductor (indium oxide) single-crystal nanoparticle arrays can be obtained by oxidation of arrayed metal (indium) nanoparticles. The arrayed semiconductor nanoparticles have similar size, shape, crystalline structure and orientation, and ambient condition. Our work is a step closer towards the goal of achieving iso-nanoparticle arrays.