Fabrication of nano-structured hemispheres and pillars using laterally migrating polymer templates

We report herein a reliable method of fabricating 2D periodic gold nanopillars with well-defined anisotropic shapes by the combinational actions of colloidal crystals and gold evaporation. The deposition of gold on a polymer template produced dual functional Janus-like nanopillars up to 633 nm in height as well as hemispherical shells with 120 nm. The thermal-induced active migration of the nanopillars from the pristine position in the lateral direction occurred at the colloidal defects while some cavity space was formed inside the gold pillars. The nano-structured gold pillars exhibited a strong surface plasmon resonance at 598 nm, as compared to that of the solid gold nanospheres at 520 nm, and a noticeable red shift to 640 nm was induced by the removal of the polymer template.