Self-assembly versus directed assembly of nanoparticles via pulsed laser induced dewetting of patterned metal films.

A nanoscale, synthetic perturbation was all that was required to nudge a natural, self-assembly process toward significantly higher order. Metallic thin film strips were transformed into nanoparticle arrays by nanosecond, liquid-phase dewetting. Arrays formed according to an evolving Rayleigh-Plateau instability, yet nanoparticle diameter and pitch were poorly controlled. However, by patterning a nanoscale sinusoid onto the original strip edge, a precise nanoparticle diameter and pitch emerged superseding the naturally evolving Rayleigh-Plateau instability.