Formation of one-dimensional nanoparticle chains

The authors report an approach to forming one-dimensional chains of nanoparticles. It is a purely physical process and thus is free from both chemical contamination and residue side products. The size of the dots as well as the interdot spacing can be manipulated by adjusting the conditions of a postannealing process, changing the initial wire width, or using different substrates. Taking advantage of the capability for precise positioning using e-beam lithograpy, this method is a relatively simple route to fabricating one-dimensional nanoparticle chains with precise geometries.