Formation of plasmonic nanoparticle arrays -rules and recipes for an ordered growth

We review a self-assembled growth method for plasmonic nanoparticle arrays, based on glancing angle deposition. We produced ordered Ag, Au, and Cu nanoparticle arrays over large areas on different stepped oxide templates. Precise control over the final geometry can be difficult and we provide recipes to obtain macroscopically ordered structures. We discuss the influence of the adsorbate diffusion length and facet termination on the shape and size distributions of metallic nanoparticle arrays and show that an increased ad-atom mobility leads to more regular arrays of spherical nanoparticles. We also show how in-situ Reflectance Anisotropy Spectroscopy (RAS) can be used to extract indirect information on the nucleation and ripening the nanoparticles, as well as measure the plasmonic resonance. Schematics of the RAS setup used to in-situ monitor the growth of plasmonic nanoparticle arrays on stepped oxide templates