Micro/Nano Pattern Fabrication Using Ultrafast Laser Surface Modification and Self-Assembled Monolayers

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) have important potential industrial applications, such as in sensors, transducers, detectors, packaging, and insulating layers for integrated circuits. In this study, electrostatic interaction is utilized to direct the patterning of a gold substrate on thiolate group (-SH) functionalized surfaces. We achieved direct laser writing of photopatterns with a feature width of several hundred nanometers on gold surfaces. SAMs of alkanethiols were formed on a gold substrate and modified by a femtosecond laser to create patterns of hydrophobic alkyl and hydrophilic thiol, carboxyl, and carbonyl groups. Employing a novel approach to nanofabrication by utilizing a femtosecond laser, gold nanoparticles were fabricated onto gold surfaces to create two-dimensional (2D) nanoparticle arrays.