Directed nucleation of ordered nanoparticle arrays on amorphous surfaces

Germanium nanoparticle nucleation was studied in organized arrays on HfO2 using a SiO2 thin film mask with ∼20–24nm pores and a 6×1010cm−2 pore density. Poly(styrene-b-methyl methacrylate) diblock copolymer was employed to pattern the SiO2 film. Hot wire chemical vapor deposition at 800K produced Ge nanoparticles using 6–19 monolayer Ge exposures. By seeding adatoms on HfO2 at room temperature before growth, nanoparticle density is approximately one particle per pore.