A "nano-golf course" to precisely assemble nanoparticles

The nanoparticles in the droplet encounter obstacles, they detach from the liquid and are captured by the holes©Valentin Flauraud/ 2016 EPFL. EPFL researchers have developed a method to place and position hundreds of thousands of nanoparticles very precisely on a one centimeter square surface. This will open new doors in nanotechnologies - Whether it has to do with making pens or building space shuttles, the manufacturing process consists of creating components and then carefully assembling them. But when it comes to infinitely small structures, manipulating and assembling high-performance nanoparticles on a substrate is no mean feat. Researchers in EPFL's Laboratory of Microsystems , which is headed by Jürgen Brugger, have come up with a way to position hundreds of thousands of nanoparticles very precisely on a one-centimeter square surface. The nanoparticles were placed within one nanometer - versus 10 to 20 nanometers using conventional methods - and oriented within one degree. Their work, which was published , sets the stage for the development of nanometric devices such as optical detection equipment and biological sensors.