Directed assembly of nanoparticles onto polymer-imprinted or chemically patterned templates fabricated by nanoimprint lithography

Patterning of nanoparticles on surfaces (see Figure) is accomplished by a combination of nanoimprint lithography, self-assembly, and vertical deposition. Substrates patterned by a combination of topographical and chemical templates produce lines with a maximum resolution of 60 nm, compared with 300 nm for substrates patterned only chemically. Hexagonally close-packed 50 mn clusters are obtained by using substrates patterned with circles rather than lines.