SEMICONDUCTOR NANOPARTICLES, AND FLUORESCENTLY LABELLED SUBSTANCE AND MOLECULE/CELL IMAGING METHOD USING THE SEMICONDUCTOR NANOPARTICLES

摘要

This invention provides semiconductor nanoparticles which have high luminescence efficiency and excellent luminescence intensity, are small in width of variation of luminescence characteristics among lots and among particles, and can realize excellent stability and reproducibility. There are also provided a fluorescently labelled substance and a molecule/cell imaging method using the semiconductor nanoparticles. The semiconductor nanoparticles are characterized in that they have an average particle diameter of 1 to 20 nm, and contain as a dopant a dissimilar atom or atomic pair of the dissimilar atom having an valence electron configuration equivalent to a main component atom constituting the semiconductor nanoparticle, and the dopant is distributed on or near the surface of the semiconductor nanoparticles.