AAO-based nanoreservoir arrays: A quick and easy support for TEM characterization

Abstract

Large-scale arrays of calibrated, nanometer sized reservoirs are prepared by adaptingthe well-established electrochemical method used so far for the preparation of anodic aluminiumoxide (AAO) membranes. The bottom plane of the assembly is prepared to be transparent forhigh-energy electrons, enabling their use as a universal sample support for transmission electronmicroscopy studies of nanoparticles. The nanoreservoir substrates can be cleaned under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions and filled, by evaporating different materials. Filled nanoreservoirs canlocally be sealed with a thin carbon layer using focused-ion-beam-induced deposition (FIBID).Nanoparticles, grow at various adsorption places on the walls and bottom planes inside thenanoreservoirs. They can be characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) withoutfurther sample preparation in different crystallographic directions. Due to the dense arrayarrangementof the reservoirs, very good statistics can already be obtained on one single sample.The controlled fabrication of the nanoreservoir array and first TEM results obtained on Aunanoparticles before and after sealing of the reservoirs, are presented. Copyright © EPLA, 2010.