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Published on: September 2, 2017
Direct patterning of gold nanoparticles using dip-pen nanolithography
Wechung Maria Wang1, Randall M Stoltenberg, Shuhong Liu
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
ACS Nano
|February 12, 2009
Summary
Directly writing gold nanoparticles at the nanoscale using dip-pen nanolithography requires specific surface conditions. Optimal deposition depends on a hydrophilic surface or covalent binding, with ideal relative humidity between 40-60%.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Materials Science
- Surface Chemistry
Background:
- Metal nanoparticles offer unique electrical and optical properties for device applications.
- Patterned assembly of nanoparticles is crucial for harnessing these properties.
- Dip-pen nanolithography is a technique for nanoscale fabrication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a method for direct writing of gold (Au) nanoparticles at nanoscale resolution.
- To optimize conditions for Au nanoparticle deposition using dip-pen nanolithography.
- To understand the influence of surface properties and environmental factors on nanoparticle deposition.
Main Methods:
- Developed procedures for increasing gold nanoparticle loading on Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) tips.
- Utilized scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to analyze ink coverage on AFM tips.
- Controlled surface interactions, relative humidity, and writing speed for deposition optimization.
- Investigated various gold nanoparticle inks and SiO(2) substrates with different surface modifications (hydrophilic, hydrophobic, electrostatic, covalent).
Main Results:
- A highly hydrophilic substrate surface is necessary for Au nanoparticle deposition, unless covalent binding is achieved.
- The optimal relative humidity range for patterning was determined to be 40-60%.
- Au nanoparticle deposition was found to be insensitive to writing speeds between 0.01 and 2 microm/s.
Conclusions:
- Dip-pen nanolithography enables direct writing of Au nanoparticles at the nanoscale.
- Surface properties (hydrophilicity, covalent binding) and relative humidity are critical parameters for successful nanoparticle deposition.
- The findings provide a foundation for precise nanoscale assembly of metal nanoparticles for advanced device applications.
