Colloid monolayer lithography-A flexible approach for nanostructuring of surfaces

In this paper, we report on an alternative nanofabrication method which relies on self-assembly of colloidal particles into a two-dimensional array on surfaces. Some important parameters for obtaining large monolayers of good crystallinity are discussed, i.e., the evaporation rate of the colloid suspension, the surface charge of the particles and the wetting properties of the substrate. The 2D crystals can be utilized as lithographic masks for consecutive processes. This is demonstrated with two experiments, site-selective electrochemical deposition of copper on a semiconductor surface and shape modification of small metallic dots by thermal annealing. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.