Stepwise nanosphere lithography: an alternate way of fabricating nanostructures

This work demonstrates a new nanosphere lithography technique, termed stepwise nanosphere lithography, to create matrices of novel two- and three-dimensional nanostructures. Different sets of nanostructures are placed at desired locations through step-by-step deposition during thermal evaporation onto a substrate surface. Three deposition parameters: (1) number of deposition steps; (2) angle of deposition; and (3) nanosphere mask orientation angle were investigated. By changing these parameters, the ordering, shape, and size of nanostructures were modified accordingly. Two- and three-dimensional nanostructure matrices with different arrangements and symmetries were successfully simulated and fabricated experimentally through a combination of multiple stationary deposition stages with different parameters.