Controlled dewetting as fabrication and patterning strategy for metal nanostructures

Metal thin films and metal nanostructures find a key role in the actual nanotechnology revolution. They can be engineered for nanoelectronics, plasmonics, and sensing applications. However, the crucial step toward reliable technological applications of metal-based nanodevices is the development of simple, low cost, versatile, and high-throughout nanofabrication methodologies. In general, top-down nanofabrication approaches allow a minimum size of the single nanostructure higher than 10 nm, a high control on spatial regularity and size of the nanostructures, but involve high cost and long processing time. In contrast, bottom-up approaches allow a minimum size of the single nanostructure lower than 10 nm, a low control on spatial regularity and size of the nanostructures, but involve low cost and short processing time. In this paper, the controlled dewetting process of thin metal films on surfaces is reviewed as a patterning and nanofabrication method for metal-based nanocomposites, crossing the strenghts of both approaches.