Well-defined nanostructuring with designable anodic aluminum oxide template

Abstract

Well-defined nanostructuring over size, shape, spatial configuration, and multi-combination is a feasible concept to reach unique properties of nanostructure arrays, while satisfying such broad and stringent requirements with conventional techniques is challenging. Here, we report designable anodic aluminium oxide templates to address this challenge by achieving well-defined pore features within templates in terms of in-plane and out-of-plane shape, size, spatial configuration, and pore combination. The structural designability of template pores arises from designing of unequal aluminium anodization rates at different anodization voltages, and further relies on a systematic blueprint guiding pore diversification. Starting from the designable templates, we realize a series of nanostructures that inherit equal structural controllability relative to their template counterparts. Proof-of-concept applications based on such nanostructures demonstrate boosted performance. In light of the broad selectivity and high controllability, designable templates will provide a useful platform for well-defined nanostructuring.

Recent Progress on the Development of Magnetically‐Responsive Micropillars: Actuation, Fabrication, and Applications

“…[98] Lei et al further utilized unequal aluminum anodization rates at different voltages to achieve shape-designable pore combinations within a single AAO template, which paves a new way for the design of a programmable microcavity array. [99]…”

Emerging Biosensors Based on Noble Metal Self‐Assembly for In Vitro Disease Diagnosis

“…Particularly, there are only limited pore shapes (e.g., circular, triangular, and square) and spatial configurations (e.g., trigonal, tetragonal, and hexagonal arrangements) of AAO available for assembling metal patterns. [17,18] Very recently, Lei's Figure 1. Schematics of preparation and biosensing applications of noble metal self-assembly.…”

Plasmonic Biosensors with Nanostructure for Healthcare Monitoring and Diseases Diagnosis

“…NIL has benefited many applications in plasmonic biosensors owing to its advantages of low cost, high throughput and high resolution. Among them, the reusability of the templates reduces the production cost, and the sensor structures can be obtained fast in a large scale [ 57 , 58 ]. Nevertheless, the three advantages of NIL are highly dependent on the templates manufactured by EBL lithography, so it is suitable for mass production of simple three-dimensional structures.…”