Self-assembly patterning of ultrafine zirconia nanocrystal films fabricated on chemically patterned templates

Abstract

Ultra-thin zirconia (ZrO2) nanocrystal films were fabricated by using a controlled dip-coating process. ZrO2 nanocrystals possess a cubic crystalline phase and large surface-to-volume area. The film composite with only several layers of nanocrystals were obtained by controlling the withdrawal speed and mass concentration of the colloidal solution. The optical properties of ZrO2 nanocrystal films were accessed by UV-vis spectroscopy, which indicated the dense and uniform structure of the nanocrystal films. The high reflection index suggested that the films could be used in the reflection coating industry. Furthermore, a micro-pattern of self-assembled monolayers of silane molecular was used as a chemical mold for selective deposition of ZrO2 nanocrystals. As a result, a self-assembly patterning of ZrO2 nanocrystals with a neat edge was fabricated on silicon substrate. The low-cost fabricating method is compatible with conventional very-large-scale integration processes and can be extended to other kinds of nanocrystals.