Fabrication of Metallic Nanodot Arrays Using Nano-Chemical Stamping Technique with a Polymer Stamp

The aim of this study is to develop metallic nanodot arrays with controlled morphology and alignment. To produce gold nanodot arrays with high throughput, the authors propose a new efficient fabrication process based on the templated thermal dewetting method, using a nano-chemical stamping technique with a polymer mold. This process comprises four steps: sputter etching on a quartz glass substrate, patterning of micrometer size by printing with acetone on the substrate by stamping with a polymer film stamp, deposition of a thin Au film on the substrate, and self-organization of the metal nanodot arrays by thermal dewetting. A new method, using a cyclo-olefin polymer film mold for chemical patterning by nano-chemical stamping, was examined. Since the acetone stamped on the substrate reduces the surface energy and affects the contact angle of the gold nanodots, the gold nanodots are distributed along the stamped pattern. It is found that the pattern stamped with acetone on the substrate works as a template for the thermal dewetting process. The nano-chemical stamping technique is useful in controlling the size and distribution of the nanodots.