Electric Field-Driven Self-Assembly of Gold Nanoparticle Monolayers on Silicon Substrates

Nanoparticles (NPs) bridge the gap between bulk materials and their equivalent molecular/atomic counterparts. The physical, optical, and electronic properties of individual NPs alter with the changes in their surrounding environment at the nanoscale. Similarly, the characteristics of thin films of NPs depend on their lateral and volumetric densities. Thus, attaining single monolayers of these NPs would play a vital role in the improved characteristics of semiconductor devices such as nanosensors, field effect transistors, and energy harvesting devices. Developing nanosensors, for instance, requires precise methods to fabricate a monolayer of NPs on selected substrates for sensing and other applications. Herein, we developed a physical fabrication method to form a monolayer of NPs on a planar silicon surface by creating an electric field of intensity 5.71 × 10⁴ V/m between parallel plates of a capacitor, by applying a DC voltage. The physics of monolayer formation caused by an externally applied electric field on the gold NPs (Au-NPs) of size 20 nm in diameter and possesses a zeta potential of −250 to −290 mV, is further analyzed with the help of the finite element simulation. The enhanced electric field, in the order of 10⁸ V/m, around the Au-NPs indicates a high surface charge density on the NPs, which results in a high electric force per unit area that guides them to settle uniformly on the surface of the silicon substrate.