Guided assembly of gold colloidal nanoparticles on silicon substrates prepatterned by charged particle beams

ACS Nano. 2012 Nov 27;6(11):10098-106. doi: 10.1021/nn3038226. Epub 2012 Oct 25.

Abstract

Colloidal gold nanoparticles represent technological building blocks which are easy to fabricate while keeping full control of their shape and dimensions. Here, we report on a simple two-step maskless process to assemble gold nanoparticles from a water colloidal solution at specific sites of a silicon surface. First, the silicon substrate covered by native oxide is exposed to a charged particle beam (ions or electrons) and then immersed in a HF-modified solution of colloidal nanoparticles. The irradiation of the native oxide layer by a low-fluence charged particle beam causes changes in the type of surface-terminating groups, while the large fluences induce even more profound modification of surface composition. Hence, by a proper selection of the initial substrate termination, solution pH, and beam fluence, either positive or negative deposition of the colloidal nanoparticles can be achieved.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Colloids / chemistry*
  • Colloids / radiation effects
  • Crystallization / methods*
  • Gold / chemistry*
  • Gold / radiation effects
  • Heavy Ions*
  • Materials Testing
  • Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Metal Nanoparticles / radiation effects
  • Particle Accelerators
  • Particle Size
  • Silicon / chemistry*
  • Silicon / radiation effects
  • Surface Properties / radiation effects

Substances

  • Colloids
  • Gold
  • Silicon