Controlled nanostructuring of a gold film covered with alkanethiol SAM by low energy cluster implantation.

We report on the deposition of gas-phase gold clusters on an organic self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of dodecanethiol molecules on a Au(111) surface. This study was performed by means of ambient-conditions scanning tunnelling microscopy. As a result of cluster implantation through the SAM followed by molecular reorganization, clusters are found to be located under the monolayer where they do not diffuse. By comparing with the formation of SAMs on a nanostructured gold surface, we demonstrate that cluster deposition through the organic monolayer can be used to control the patterning of a gold surface covered with alkanethiol SAM.