Nanogap-controllable self-assembly of gold nanoparticles using nanotrench template

This paper reports high-yield self-assembly process for gold nanoparticle with a diameter of 60 nm, which can precisely control an interparticle nanogap ranging from 0 to 60 nm, using a template-assisted self-assembly with a pair of circular nanotrenches. A center-to-center distance of nanotrenches was changed in order to control an interparticle nanopgap. We found that an assembly yield strongly depends on a particle-particle interaction and achieved nanogap-controlled particle arrangement with high yield by controlling the particle-particle interaction with an addition of an electrolyte. This technique would enable us to control plasmonic resonance property of a nanoparticles pair for many emerging applications.