Metal Nanoparticles, Nanowires, and Contact Electrodes Self-Assembled on Patterned Monolayer Templates—A Bottom-up Chemical Approach

Functional metallic nanostructures on silicon substrates are generated by an AFM lithography process: Si coated with alkylsilanes whose CH3 termini get oxidized to COOH groups under the AFM tip acts as a template for self-assembly of a vinyl-terminal alkylsilane layer. Conversion of vinyl to SH groups affords a patterned substrate for binding metals, as verified, e.g., in the gold nanoparticle array shown in the Figure.