Highlight Story
2011 was Ryan Davis' second year conducting summer research with the Schubert group and UNL's Department of Nanomaterials and Nanoscience. The goal of his project was to develop adjustable nanoparticle patterns with control over spacing and particle size, as well as good ordering and the option of using multiple types of metals for the nanoparticles. With these nanoparticle templates, he hoped to enable spatial control of the structures created by the Glancing Angle Deposition (GLAD) system, in addition to the geometric control it already provides.
Overall he had reasonably positive results for the pattern control, both in pattern quality and in specific control of the interparticle spacing throughout a hexagonal lattice. Initial tests for nanoparticle growth were also positive, and with further development, the seeding procedure will likely be able to scale the nanoparticle size up as needed for each sample. Preliminary runs in the GLAD suggested that the nanoparticle arrays allowed patterning of the geometric structures, though good control of the nanoparticle size will be required.
