Abstract
An approach for controlled assembly of metal and semiconducting thiol-terminated nanoparticles onto electrically patterned Si 3 N 4 /SiO 2 /Si (NOS) electret films with an unprecedented resolution, was analyzed. Electrostatic nanopatterning was achieved by electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) under high-vacuum conditions, which allows higher charge detection sensitivity and patterning resolution than that operated under ambient conditions. The trapped charges were measured by EFM in intermittent-contact mode, with both mechanical and electrical modulations. The absorbed nanoparticles can pack closely into monolayered structures at an unprecedented spatial resolution. The results show that the unique processing properties allow this methodology to become a promising approach for constructing specifically designed nanoparticle structures.