Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
701467 | Diamond and Related Materials | 2006 | 6 Pages |
Diblock copolymer based gold nanoparticle arrays are used to pattern diamond and silicon surfaces on the nanoscale. Taking advantage of diblock copolymers forming spherical reverse micelles, which self-assemble into hexagonally ordered arrays when deposited onto a surface, gold nanoparticle patterns are prepared from HAuCl4 loaded poly(styrene)-block-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) micelles on top of diamond and silicon. By applying these particles as nanomasks for subsequent reactive ion etching, the hexagonal pattern is transferred into the substrate resulting in a corresponding array of diamond nanotips and silicon nanopillars, respectively. In the case of B-doped diamond, these nanotips exhibit a significantly enhanced electron emissivity as compared to a polished surface proving the new functionality resulting from nanopatterning field emitters of an unprecedented areal density.