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Robust nanopatterning by laser-induced dewetting of metal nanofilms

Christopher Favazza·Ramki Kalyanaraman·Radhakrishna Sureshkumar
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Abstract

We have observed nanopattern formation with robust and controllable spatial ordering by laser-induced dewetting in nanoscopic metal films. Pattern evolution in Co film of thickness 1\leq h\leq8 nm on SiO_{2} was achieved under multiple pulse irradiation using a 9 ns pulse laser. Dewetting leads to the formation of cellular patterns which evolve into polygons that eventually break up into nanoparticles with monomodal size distribution and short range ordering in nearest-neighbour spacing R. Spatial ordering was attributed to a hydrodynamic thin film instability and resulted in a predictable variation of R and particle diameter D with h. The length scales R and D were found to be independent of the laser energy. These results suggest that spatially ordered metal nanoparticles can be robustly assembled by laser-induced dewetting.

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Christopher Favazza, Ramki Kalyanaraman, Radhakrishna Sureshkumar. 2006-09-07. Robust nanopatterning by laser-induced dewetting of metal nanofilms. https://doi.org/10.1088/0957-4484%2F17%2F16%2F038

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