ZnSeO₃ nanocrystals with an orthorhombic structure were synthesized by electrochemical and chemical deposition into SiO₂/Si ion-track template formed by 200 MeV Xe ion irradiation with the fluence of 10⁷ ions/cm². The lattice parameters determined by the X-ray diffraction and calculated by the CRYSTAL computer program package are very close to each other. It was found that ZnSeO₃ has a direct band gap of 3.8 eV at the Γ-point. The photoluminescence excited by photons at 300 nm has a low intensity, arising mainly due to zinc and oxygen vacancies. Photoluminescence excited by photons with a wavelength of 300 nm has a very low intensity, presumably due to electronic transitions of zinc and oxygen vacancies.

We report the results of synthesis of zinc selenide (ZnSe) nanocrystals into SiO₂/Si track templates formed by irradiation with 200 MeV Xe ions up to a fluence of 10⁷ ions/cm². Zinc selenide nanocrystals were obtained by chemical deposition from the alkaline aqueous solution. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy, and electrical measurements were used for characterization of synthesized ZnSe/SiO_2nanoporous/Si nanocomposites. XRD data for as-deposited precipitates revealed the formation of ZnSe nanocrystals with cubic crystal structure, spatial syngony F-43m (216). According to non-empirical calculations using GGA-PBE and HSE06 functionals, ZnSe crystal is a direct-zone crystal with a minimum bandgap width of 2.36 eV and anisotropic electronic distribution. It was found that a thermal treatment of synthesized nanocomposites at 800 °C results in an increase in ZnSe nanocrystallites size as well as an increase in emission intensity of created precipitates in a broad UV-VIS spectra range. However, vacuum conditions of annealing still do not completely prevent the oxidation of zinc selenide, and a formation of hexagonal ZnO phase is registered in the annealed samples. The current–voltage characteristics of the synthesized nanocomposites proved to have n-type conductivity, as well as increased conductivity after annealing.

We report the effect of high-temperature treatment on the structure and photoluminescence of zinc selenite nanocrystals (ZnSeO₃) deposited into SiO₂/Si track templates. The templates were formed via irradiation with Xe ions (200 MeV, 10⁸ ions/cm²) followed by etching in HF solution. ZnSeO₃ nanocrystals were obtained via chemical deposition from the aqueous solution of ZnCl₂ and SeO₂ as Zn-, Se- and O-precursors. To estimate the thermal stability of the deposited precipitates, heat treatment was carried out at 800 and 1000 °C for 60 min in a vacuum environment. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and electrical measurements were used for the characterization of ZnSeO₃/SiO_2nanoporous/Si nanocomposites. Thermal treatment of the synthesized nanocomposites resulted in structural transformations with the formation of ZnSe and ZnO phases while the content of the ZnSeO₃ phase decreased. For the as-deposited and annealed precipitates, an emission in the range of (400 to 600) nm was observed. PL spectra were approximated by four Gaussian curves with maxima at ~550 nm (2.2 eV), 488 nm (2.54 eV), ~440 nm (2.82 eV), and 410 nm (3.03 eV). Annealing resulted in a decrease in PL intensity that was possibly due to the weight loss of the deposited substance during high-temperature treatment. The redistribution of maxima intensities after annealing was also observed with an increase in blue and violet emissions. The origin of the observed PL is discussed. The I–V curve analysis revealed an electronic type of conductivity for the ZnSeO₃(NCs)/SiO_2nanoporous/Si structure. The values of the specific conductivity were calculated within the percolation model. The sample annealed at 800 °C showed the highest specific conductivity of 8.5 × 10⁻⁶ Ohm⁻¹·cm⁻¹.

In the present work, we present the process of preparing CdS nanostructures based on templating synthesis using chemical deposition (CD) on a SiO₂/Si substrate. A 0.7 μm thick silicon dioxide film was thermally prepared on the surface of an n-type conduction Si wafer, followed by the creation of latent ion tracks on the film by irradiating them with swift heavy Xe ions with an energy of 231 MeV and a fluence of 10⁸ cm⁻². As a result of etching in hydrofluoric acid solution (4%), pores in the form of truncated cones with different diameters were formed. The filling of the nanopores with cadmium sulfide was carried out via templated synthesis using CD methods on a SiO_2 nanopores/Si substrate for 20–40 min. After CdS synthesis, the surfaces of nanoporous SiO_2 nanopores/Si were examined using a scanning electron microscope to determine the pore sizes and the degree of pore filling. The crystal structure of the filled silica nanopores was investigated using X-ray diffraction, which showed CdS nanocrystals with an orthorhombic structure with symmetry group 59 Pmmn observed at 2θ angles of 61. 48° and 69.25°. Photoluminescence spectra were recorded at room temperature in the spectral range of 300–800 nm at an excitation wavelength of 240 nm, where emission bands centered around 2.53 eV, 2.45 eV, and 2.37 eV were detected. The study of the CVCs showed that, with increasing forward bias voltage, there was a significant increase in the forward current in the samples with a high degree of occupancy of CdS nanoparticles, which showed the one-way electronic conductivity of CdS/SiO₂/Si nanostructures. For the first time, CdS nanostructures with orthorhombic crystal structure were obtained using track templating synthesis, and the density of electronic states was modeled using quantum–chemical calculations. Comparative analysis of experimental and calculated data of nanostructure parameters showed good agreement and are confirmed by the results of other authors.

ZnS is one of the most promising wide-bandgap semiconductors for optoelectronic and sensing applications owing to its efficient ultraviolet–blue emission, high exciton binding energy, and chemical stability. However, the synthesis of ZnS nanocrystals in silicon-compatible porous matrices remains largely unexplored. In this work, ordered arrays of ZnS nanocrystals were synthesized for the first time in SiO₂/Si track templates fabricated by swift heavy ion irradiation followed by selective chemical etching. ZnS nanocrystals were deposited by electrochemical deposition from aqueous solutions containing ZnCl₂ and thiourea precursors. The structural, optical, and electrical properties of the resulting ZnS/SiO₂/Si nanocomposites were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and electrical measurements. The fabricated templates contained vertically aligned pores with a density of approximately 10⁸ cm⁻² and an average diameter of about 500 nm. Electrochemical deposition resulted in a pore filling efficiency of approximately 88%. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the formation of crystalline ZnS with a cubic zinc blende structure. The nanocomposites exhibit intense ultraviolet–blue photoluminescence in the 335–477 nm range, with pronounced emission peaks at 372 and 400 nm characteristic of ZnS nanocrystals. Current–voltage measurements indicate predominantly electronic conductivity, with a conductivity of 1.54 × 10⁻⁶ Ohm⁻¹·cm⁻¹, comparable to values reported for polycrystalline ZnS films. To support the experimental observations, the electronic structure of ZnS was analyzed using density functional theory within the LCAO framework. The calculated bandgap of 3.4 eV is consistent with previously reported theoretical and experimental data. The obtained results demonstrate that SiO₂/Si track templates provide a promising platform for the fabrication of ordered ZnS nanoarrays with potential applications in silicon-compatible optoelectronic and sensing devices.