TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - CHEMICAL ENGINEERING - Preferred Components: The apparatus further comprises a source of a carrier gas (28) coupled to the droplet generator. The flow channel further comprises one or more input ducts coupled to source of one or more flow gas, and the input ducts introduces a flow of gas through the bore of the flow channel from the source of flow gas. The apparatus further comprises a flow gas heater, which is heated at temperature above ambient temperature before flowing through the bore of the flow channel. The heating element comprises a laser to irradiate the reaction zone with laser light, and a heater. The heating element comprises a thermocouple to heat the reaction zone at 600-1000 degrees C. The particle collector is collector chosen from glass frit, filter, heated plate and bubbler. The silicon thin film-synthesizing apparatus comprises a source of a liquid silane solution, a droplet generator coupled to the source to produce nano or micro scale droplets of liquid silane solution from the source of liquid silane solution, a housing with an interior chamber coupled to an output of the droplet generator and one or more film output duct, and a source of nanoparticles coupled to the housing, in which the liquid silane droplets and nanoparticles are emitted from the output ducts and the housing, and co-deposited on a substrate. The silicon thin film-synthesizing apparatus further comprises a heating element for heating the deposited droplets and nanoparticles on the substrate, and a source of one or more carrier gas coupled to the housing to produce a controlled flow of carrier gas, droplets and particles through the housing and out of the housing output duct. The heating element comprises a plasma heater. Preferred Process: The production of silicon particles further involves functionalizing outer surfaces of the collected nanoparticles, heating the droplets to remove hydrogen gas and to produce silicon hydride nanoparticles, and capping the silicon hydride nanoparticles by decomposing the solvent with heat or radiation and reacting the decomposed solvent with the silicon hydride nanoparticles. The synthesis of silicon thin film embedded with silicon nanoparticles further involves forming droplets of liquid silane composition, polymerizing the droplets in a gas phase to produce nanoparticles with heat and/or laser irradiation, and collecting the polymerized nanoparticles.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Composition: The dopant is metal dopant chosen from dopants containing phosphorus, boron, antimony, bismuth and arsenic. The dopant is non-metal or metalloid dopant chosen from elements of Group IIIA, IVA and VA. The source of carrier gas is heated at temperature above ambient temperature. The obtained nanoparticles are introduced into an interior chamber of the housing through the input duct to be co-deposited on a substrate. The dopant comprises element chosen from titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, zinc, gallium, germanium, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, technetium, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, cadmium, indium, tin, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold, mercury, titanium, lead, bismuth and aluminum.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Composition: The liquid silane composition comprises silane chosen from silanes of linear, cyclic, branched, oligomeric and/or polymeric hydrosilanes. The liquid silane composition comprises silane chosen from cyclopentasilane, neopentasilane, and/or cyclohexasilane. The liquid silane composition contains heteroatom-substituted silane. The liquid silane composition comprises one or more liquid silane, and dopant and/or one or more solvent. The source of nanoparticles comprises a source of liquid silane solution. The solvent is chosen from hexane, toluene, cyclooctane, 1-dodecene, 1 -octadecene and decaborane.