Understanding self-assembled nanosphere patterns

TL;DR

This paper investigates the formation of nanosphere patterns during drying processes, combining experiments and simulations to understand the dynamics and control of self-assembled structures used in nanolithography.

Contribution

A spring-block model is introduced that accurately reproduces experimental patterns and reveals the dynamics of pattern formation in nanosphere self-assembly.

Findings

Model successfully reproduces experimental patterns

Parameters influence pattern morphology

Dynamics of pattern formation are elucidated

Abstract

Patterns generated by a colloidal suspension of nanospheres drying on a frictional substrate are studied by experiments and computer simulations. The obtained two-dimensional self-assembled structures are commonly used for nanosphere lithography. A spring-block stick-slip model is introduced for simulating the phenomenon and the influence of several controllable parameters on the final structure is investigated. The model successfully reproduces the experimentally observed patterns and the dynamics leading to pattern formation is revealed.