Self-assembled pit arrays as templates for the integration of Au nanocrystals in oxide surfaces

Nanoscale. 2013 Feb 7;5(3):1001-8. doi: 10.1039/c2nr33181k. Epub 2012 Dec 18.

Abstract

We report on the fabrication of long-range ordered arrays of Au nanocrystals (sub-50 nm range) on top of manganite (La(2/3)Sr(1/3)MnO(3)) thin films achieving area densities around 2 × 10(10) gold nanocrystals per cm(2), well above the densities achievable by using conventional nanofabrication techniques. The gold-manganite interface exhibits excellent conduction properties. Long-range order is achieved by a guided self-assembling process of Au nanocrystals on self-organized pit-arrays acting as a template for the nucleation of gold nanocrystals. Self-organization of pits on the manganite film surface promoted by the underlying stepped SrTiO(3) substrate is achieved by a fine tuning of the growth kinetic pathway, taking advantage of the unusual misfit strain relaxation behaviour of manganite films.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Crystallization / methods*
  • Gold / chemistry*
  • Macromolecular Substances / chemistry
  • Manganese Compounds / chemistry*
  • Materials Testing
  • Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Metal Nanoparticles / ultrastructure*
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Molecular Imprinting / methods*
  • Oxides / chemistry*
  • Particle Size
  • Surface Properties

Substances

  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Manganese Compounds
  • Oxides
  • manganite
  • Gold