Growth of Metal Nano-Particles on Polarity Patterned Ferroelectrics by Photochemical Reaction

Abstract

We report the surface distribution of metal (Ag, Au) nanoparticles grown on polaritypatterned ferroelectric substrates by photochemical reaction. Single crystal periodically polarity-patterned LiNbO 3 (PPLN) was used as a ferroelectric substrate. The nanoparticles were grown by ultra-violet (UV) light exposure of the PPLN in the aqueous solutions including metas. The surface distribution of the grown nanoparticles were measured by atomic force microscopy and identification of the orientation of the polarity of the ferroelectric surface was performed by piezoelectric force microscopy. The Ag-and Au-nanoparticles grown on +z polarity regions are larger and denser than that on -z polarity regions. In particlur, the largest and denser Ag-nanoparticles were grwon on the polarity boundary regions of the PPLN while Au-nanoparticles were not specifically grown on the boundary regions. Thus, we found that the size and position of metal nanoparticles grown on ferroelectric surfaces can be controlled by UV-exposure time and polarity pattern structures. Also, we discuss the difference of the surface distribution of the metal nano-particles depending on the polarity of the ferroelectric surfaces in terms of surface band structures, reduced work fucntion, and inhomogeneous electric field distribution.