Formation of Surface-Wrinkled Metal Nanosheets via Thermally Assisted Nanotransfer Printing

Abstract

Nanopatterning methods for pattern formation of high-resolution nanostructures are essential for the fabrication of various electronic devices, including wearable displays, high-performance semiconductor devices, and smart biosensor systems. Among advanced nanopatterning methods, nanotransfer printing (nTP) has attracted considerable attention due to its process simplicity, low cost, and great pattern resolution. However, to diversify the pattern geometries for wide device applications, more effective and useful nTP based patterning methods must be developed. Here, we introduce a facile and practical nanofabrication method to obtain various three-dimensional (3D) ultra-thin metallic films via thermally assisted nTP (T-nTP). We show how to generate surface-wrinkled 3D nanostructures, such as angular line, concave-valley, and convex-hill structures. We also demonstrate the principle for effectively forming 3D nanosheets by T-nTP, using Si master molds with a low aspect ratio (A/R ≤ 1). In addition, we explain how to obtain a 3D wavy structure when using a mold with high A/R (≥ 3), based on the isotropic deposition process. We also produced a highly ordered 3D Au nanosheet on flexible PET over a large area (> 15 µm). We expect that this T-nTP approach using various Si mold shapes will be applied for the useful fabrication of various metal/oxide nanostructured devices with high surface area.