Deposition of Nanobead Hexagonal Crystals Using Silicon Microcantilevers

Abstract

A method for ordering, at a single-particle level, hexagonally packed polystyrene (PS) nanobeads using a cantilever array on different types of surface was investigated. PS nanobeads were spotted onto surfaces exhibiting our different chemical properties, including plasma-deposited polyacrylic acid (PAA), polyallylamine (PAL), fluorocarbon (CFx), and mercaptohexadecanoic acid (MHD). Nanobead spots were printed onto the different surfaces by using the Bioplume depositing system, which relied on the use of an array of microcantilevers. The effect of the contact angle of the deposition surface on the size and geometry of the spots was studied through SEM. The formation of several perfect hexagons constituting 19 particles were observed.