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

CINaM-CNRS UPR 3118, Aix-Marseille Université, Campus de Luminy Case 913, 13288 Marseille Cedex 09, France, EU

^a moyen@cinam.univ-mrs.fr

Received: 29 July 2010
Accepted: 12 November 2010

Abstract

Large-scale arrays of calibrated, nanometer sized reservoirs are prepared by adapting the well-established electrochemical method used so far for the preparation of anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) membranes. The bottom plane of the assembly is prepared to be transparent for high-energy electrons, enabling their use as a universal sample support for transmission electron microscopy studies of nanoparticles. The nanoreservoir substrates can be cleaned under ultra-high-vacuum conditions and filled, by evaporating different materials. Filled nanoreservoirs can locally 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 the nanoreservoirs. They can be characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) without further sample preparation in different crystallographic directions. Due to the dense array-arrangement of 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 Au nanoparticles before and after sealing of the reservoirs, are presented.