Modulating the Spatial Electrostatic Potential for 1D Colloidal Nanoparticles Assembly

1D nanoparticle arrangements have gained widespread attention because of their unique collective physical properties and potential applications in functional devices. To push the device integration toward its intrinsic limits, the precise positioning of colloidal nanoparticles into 1D layout is still a challenging task, especially for nanoparticles in the sub-20 nm range. In this work, a novel strategy based on the synergistic modulation of lateral and bottom electrostatic potential of grooves is applied, thus demonstrating a high-resolution confinement of 1D colloidal nanoparticle arrays. The mechanism of spatial potential modulation is elucidated in details, through the combination of quantitative theoretical modeling and consistent experimental results. A crystal-clear guide for the development of novel applications with both fundamental and technological perspectives is therefore provided.