title: Self-assembly versus directed assembly of nanoparticles via pulsed laser induced dewetting of patterned metal films.
abstract: A nanoscale, synthetic perturbation was all that was required to nudge a natural, self-assembly process toward significantly higher order. Metallic thin film strips were transformed into nanoparticle arrays by nanosecond, liquid-phase dewetting. Arrays formed according to an evolving Rayleigh-Plateau instability, yet nanoparticle diameter and pitch were poorly controlled. However, by patterning a nanoscale sinusoid onto the original strip edge, a precise nanoparticle diameter and pitch emerged superseding the naturally evolving Rayleigh-Plateau instability.
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6493, USA. fowlkesjd@ornl.gov
authors.forename: Jason D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Fowlkes
authors.forename: Lou
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kondic
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Diez
authors.forename: Yueying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Philip D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Rack
mesh_terms: D007834:Lasers; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008670:Metals