Charge transport in semiconducting nanocrystalline films

We have studied the charge transport in thin films of copper sulfide and Si nanocrystals (NCs). The electronic properties of the copper sulfide NCs can be controlled by chemical surface treatments and thermal annealing. The Si NC films exhibit a variation of the conductivity due to percolation effects. The electronic transport properties are constant in the whole active volume of the Si NC films, whereas the surface layer is electrically insulating. The charge transport is mediated by trap states giving rise to intra-NC and inter-NC hopping charge transfer.