Abstract
To realize the full potential of nanocrystals in nanotechnology, it is necessary to integrate single nanocrystals into addressable structures; for example, arrays and periodic lattices. The current methods for achieving this are reviewed. It is shown that a combination of top-down lithography techniques with directed assembly offers a platform for attaining this goal. The most promising of these directed assembly methods are reviewed: capillary force assembly, electrostatic assembly, optical printing, DNA-based assembly, and electrophoretic deposition. The last of these appears to offer a generic approach to fabrication of single-nanocrystal arrays.
Highlights
Over the last two decades, nanocrystal science has blossomed into one of the most important fields in materials science due to the remarkable size effects such materials can exhibit
We begin by presenting some recent developments in standard, top-down nanofabrication methods, we introduce various directed assembly methods for creating single nanocrystal arrays: capillary force assembly, electrostatic assembly, optical printing, DNAbased assembly, and electrophoretic deposition
One concern with Nanoimprint lithography (NIL), for single nanocrystal deposition, is that due to the nature of the stamping process, residual resist will often be left at the bottom of imprinted nanostructures, which complicates a number of the assembly methods that we describe later in this review
Summary
Over the last two decades, nanocrystal science has blossomed into one of the most important fields in materials science due to the remarkable size effects such materials can exhibit. The first is self-assembled, template-based nanofabrication, where a self-assembled superstructure templates the deposition of a nanomaterial Examples of this include nanosphere lithography for hexagonal structure fabrication,[8] sol-gel structures for creating porous templates,[9] fast pyrolysis for creating hollow structures,[10] and DNA-scaffolding.[11] These template-based processes are widely used due to their simplicity, low fabrication cost, and readily controlled pattern size. Such methods can often only be used to template a limited range of patterns and offer little control over the final nanomaterial morphology.[6a] The second category we call “arbitrary unit nanofabrication”. Patterns generated by SPL can be transferred via etching to a substrate for use in NIL, allowing directed nanocrystal assembly to be prototyped with EBL or SPL templates and scaled up via NIL
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