Copolymer template etching for Au nanoparticles self-assembly

Priscilla Tan (1) , Alexandre Plaud (2) , Pascal Royer (2) , Thomas Maurer (2)

1 Nanyang Technological University [Singapour]
2 LNIO - Laboratoire de Nanotechnologie et d'Instrumentation Optique

In this paper, we report a study on self-assembly of Au colloids assisted by polystyrene (PS)-polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) block copolymer templates. Etching PMMA cylindrical domains of PS-PMMA thin films provides large-scale arrays of holes in which 12nm Au colloids may fall into. We demonstrate that the holes' functionalisation with aminosilanes favours the deposition of the Au colloids into the holes. The extinction spectroscopy measurements demonstrate that the Au NPs which are self-assembled using this process do not present any aggregation. Such a process should pave the way for designing plasmonic devices like optical nanosensors.

Domains: Engineering Sciences [physics]; Micro and nanotechnologies/Microelectronics; Chemical Sciences; Polymers

Priscilla Tan, Alexandre Plaud, Pascal Royer, Thomas Maurer. Copolymer template etching for Au nanoparticles self-assembly. International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2016, 13 (10/11/12), pp.716. ⟨10.1504/IJNT.2016.080353⟩. ⟨hal-02298452⟩