文摘
A simple procedure to elaborate robust ultraflat gold surface without clean room facilities is presented. Self-assembled 3-mercaptopropytriethoxysilane (MPTMS) on silicon was used as a buffer layer on which gold was sputteredusing a common sputter-coating apparatus. The optimization of the sample position into the chamber of the sputteringmachine yielded the formation of a thin (~8 nm) gold layer. The characterization of the resulting gold surface (i.e.,AFM, X-ray reflectivity, and diffraction) has demonstrated its high smoothness (<0.7 nm) over a large scale witha preferred (111) orientation. The robustness of the substrate toward organic solvents and thermal treatment was alsotested. The ability of these surfaces to be used as substrates for high-resolution surface modification was confirmedby functionalizing the gold surface using the dip pen nanolithography process.