Laser printing of Au nanoparticles with sub-micron resolution for the fabrication of monochromatic reflectors on stretchable substrates. (March 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zacharatos, Filimon; Duderstadt, Martin; Almpanis, Evangelos; Patsiouras, Lampros; Kurselis, Kestutis; Tsoukalas, Dimitris; Reinhardt, Carsten; Papanikolaou, Nikolaos; Chichkov, Boris N.; Zergioti, Ioanna
• Is Part Of: Optics & laser technology. Volume 135(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-03
• Subjects: Laser induced transfer -- Au nanoparticles -- Plasmonic resonance -- Stretchable substrates; Optics -- Periodicals; Lasers -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 621.366
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optlastec.2020.106660
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0030-3992

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: Laser Induced Transfer employed for the printing of Au nanoparticles on PDMS. The nanoparticle diameters range from 150 to 300 nm with<3 nm variation. The array pitch is in the order of 500 nm, exhibiting a sharp resonance at 730 nm. Demonstration of a narrowband, strongly reflecting metal/dielectric surface. Abstract: Laser Induced Forward and Backward Transfer (LIFT and LIBT) have emerged as direct nano- and micro-fabrication technologies allowing the digital and controllable printing of a large variety of materials for components with flexible and stretchable form factors. Further advancements on the achievement of very challenging metal/ polymer interfaces can be enabled by employing combinational schemes comprising the best features of direct printing methods and conventional nano-fabrication technologies. This work is a demonstration of the combination of LIFT and LIBT with e-beam and nano-imprint lithography for the fabrication of a narrowband, strongly reflecting surface comprising highly ordered square arrays of Au nanoparticles embedded within Polydimethylsiloxane substrates. The transferred nanoparticle diameters range from 150 to 300 nm and the array pitch is in the order of 500 nm, enabling resonance within the visible range of the spectrum. The resulting arrays are characterized optically and the obtained spectra are explained with the help of finite element simulations. Excellent agreement between characterization and simulation is shown for the sharp resonance, which appears around 730 nm and is associated with lattice induced modes owing to diffraction of light in the periodic lattice. The reported results highlight the capability of LIFT and LIBT for the implementation of thin, stretchable and transparent components for novel photonic and optoelectronic applications.