Energy Levels in Embedded Semiconductor Nanoparticles and Nanowires

A finite-depth square-well model is used to show that the band gap of a nanoparticle for a given size can be tuned by embedding the nanoparticle in different matrices. This may find a technological importance in different branches of physics. The band gaps calculated using this model are found to be consistent with reported experimental band gaps of semiconductor materials (PbS and CdS) embedded in different matrices. A new wave function for a one-dimensional semiconductor has been deduced to evaluate the size-dependent band gap of a semiconductor wire, explaining the variation of the band gap of porous Si with the ratio of Si−O and Si−H bond concentrations.