Expanding the molecular-ruler process through vapor deposition of hexadecanethiol

• Alexandra M. Patron,
• Timothy S. Hooker,
• Daniel F. Santavicca,
• Corey P. Causey and
• Thomas J. Mullen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2339–2344, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.233

• , metal-ligated multilayers, both with and without an alkanethiol capping layer, were utilized to create nanogaps between Au features using the molecular-ruler process. Keywords: hybrid nanolithography; metal-ligated multilayer; molecular ruler; self-assembled monolayers; vapor-phase deposition

• techniques such as photolithography or electron-beam lithography (Figure 1) [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]. In short, a metal structure that has been patterned on a non-metal substrate (e.g., Si) using conventional lithography is subsequently covered by a metal-ligated multilayer through the

• use of an alkanethiol, specifically 1-hexadecanethiol (C16), as the terminating layer of a metal-ligated multilayer. This molecule was selected as it is commonly used to produce well-ordered self-assembled monolayers, has a relatively well understood terminal functionality (e.g., a methyl group), and