Plasmonic ‘top-hat’ nano-star arrays by electron beam lithography

Lithography techniques play an important role in the fabrication of nanoscale functional devices. In electron beam lithography (EBL) the optimum dose of electron irradiation is a critical parameter. In this paper, we first identify suitable EBL fabrication parameters by writing patterns with different sizes, periods and electron radiation doses. After finding suitable fabrication parameters, we show how five-pointed gold nanostructures with electric field-enhancing ‘top hats’ can be fabricated using EBL. Reflectance data of these arrays is measured in order to assess their potential applications in biosensing arrays.