Nanoscale topographical control of capillary assembly of nanoparticles.
Predetermined and selective placement of nanoparticles onto large-area substrates with nanometre-scale precision is essential to harness the unique properties of nanoparticle assemblies, in particular for functional optical and electro-optical nanodevices. Unfortunately, such high spatial organization is currently beyond the reach of top-down nanofabrication techniques alone. Here, we demonstrate that topographic features comprising lithographed funnelled traps and auxiliary sidewalls on a solid substrate can deterministically direct the capillary assembly of Au nanorods to attain simultaneous control of position, orientation and interparticle distance at the nanometre level. We report up to 100% assembly yield over centimetre-scale substrates. We achieve this by optimizing the three sequential stages of capillary nanoparticle assembly: insertion of nanorods into the traps, resilience against the receding suspension front and drying of the residual solvent. Finally, using electron energy-loss spectroscopy we characterize the spectral response and near-field properties of spatially programmable Au nanorod dimers, highlighting the opportunities for precise tunability of the plasmonic modes in larger assemblies.
Microsystems Laboratory, Institute of Microtechnique, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Valentin
V
Flauraud
Department of Bio, Electro and Mechanical Systems, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium.
Massimo
M
Mastrangeli
Nanophotonics and Metrology Laboratory, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Gabriel D
GD
Bernasconi
Nanophotonics and Metrology Laboratory, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Jeremy
J
Butet
Interdisciplinary Center for Electron Microscopy, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Duncan T L
DT
Alexander
Microsystems Laboratory, Institute of Microtechnique, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Elmira
E
Shahrabi
Nanophotonics and Metrology Laboratory, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Olivier J F
0000-0002-9574-3119
OJ
Martin
Microsystems Laboratory, Institute of Microtechnique and Institute of Materials, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Juergen
J
Brugger
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