Fabrication of nanoparticles with 3D shape control for X-ray scattering experiments

• Fabrication of identical nanoparticles by e-beam lithography and electroplating.
• Full 2D and quasi-3D shape control of the particle demonstrated.
• Preparation of suspensions of nanoparticles in glycerol.

We report on the fabrication of identical gold nanoparticles for X-ray scattering test experiments with synchrotron radiation. For this purpose, direct-write e-beam lithography followed by gold electroplating techniques were applied, which produced large numbers of nanoparticles with the chosen complex shape and overall size between 200 and 500 nm. We prepared two sorts of samples: nanostructures grown in random position and orientation on a membrane mimicking a 2D “liquid” and nanostructures detached from their substrate and suspended in glycerol. The key for the success of the X-ray experiments was the extremely high shape and size homogeneity of the particles generated top-down. We also demonstrated that exposing molds into multi-layered e-beam resists opens further possibilities for the shape control of the electroplated nanoparticles along their growth direction. We discuss technological aspects of the fabrication procedure in detail and show examples of various fabricated nanoparticles.

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