Direct Nanopatterning of Metal Surfaces Using Self-Assembled Molecular Films

This work shows that self-assembled molecular (SAM) films of silanes and alkanethiolates can be used as surface active agents for direct 50 nm pattern transfer from a metallic or semiconductor master to metallic surfaces. The patterned metallic surfaces can be modified again by alkanethiolate SAMs to be used as a further mold for master replication. It is also demonstrated that the patterned metallic surfaces are excellent templates to produce nanopatterned metal-semiconductor hybrid surfaces by controlled chemical reactions.