Nanoembossment of Au patterns on microspheres

This article successfully demonstrates a facile and efficient way to nanoemboss a diversity of Au patterns on microspheres by combining templating with colloidal crystals, plasma etching, and gold vapor deposition. The dimension and geometry of the Au patterns constructed on the spheres are strongly dependent on the crystal structures, the plasma etching period, and the incidence angle of Au vapor flow, yet independent of the curvature and surface chemistry of the spheres. The potential of using the resulting Au patterns on microspheres as masks for plasma etching the spheres themselves was also successfully demonstrated.