Fabrication of Two-Dimensional Arrays of Micron-Sized Gold Rings Based on Preferential Nucleation at Reentrant Sites

A templating method for fabricating two-dimensional (2D) arrays of micron-sized gold rings is reported. The microstructures are formed by electroless plating in a through-porous polymer membrane on a silicon substrate obtained from a closed-packed silica colloidal crystal. Our results show that the sizes of gold rings can be altered by varying electroless plating conditions for the porous polystyrene membranes. Moreover, we explain the growth mechanism of gold rings using the classical crystal growth theory that is preferential nucleation at reentrant sites