Electrochemical Redox Cycling Behavior of Gold Nanoring Electrodes Microfabricated on a Silicon Micropillar

We report the microfabrication and characterization of concentric gold nanoring electrodes (Au NREs), which were fabricated by patterning two gold nanoelectrodes on the same silicon (Si) micropillar tip. Au NREs of 165 +/- 10 nm in width were micropatterned on a 6.5 +/- 0.2 mu m diameter 80 +/- 0.5 mu m height Si micropillar with an intervening similar to 100 nm thick hafnium oxide insulating layer between the two nanoelectrodes. Excellent cylindricality of the micropillar with vertical sidewalls as well as a completely intact layer of a concentric Au NRE including the entire micropillar perimeter has been achieved as observed via scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy data. The electrochemical behavior of the Au NREs was characterized by steady-state cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The applicability of Au NREs to electrochemical sensing was demonstrated by redox cycling with the ferro/ferricyanide redox couple. The redox cycling amplified the currents by 1.63-fold with a collection efficiency of > 90% on a single collection cycle. The proposed micro-nanofabrication approach with further optimization studies shows great promise for the creation and expansion of concentric 3D NRE arrays with controllable width and nanometer spacing for electroanalytical research and applications such as single-cell analysis and advanced biological and neurochemical sensing.

Automated summary

We have successfully fabricated and characterized concentric gold nanoring electrodes (Au NREs) using a microfabrication technique. The Au NREs were patterned on a silicon micropillar tip with an insulating layer, resulting in excellent cylindricality and intact concentric Au NREs. The electrochemical behavior of the Au NREs was studied and their applicability to electrochemical sensing was demonstrated through redox cycling. This micro-nanofabrication approach shows great promise for creating and expanding 3D NRE arrays for various electroanalytical applications.