Size control of self-organized gold nanoparticles on nanopatterned single crystal diamond

Surface patterning using plasmonic nanoparticles has attracted increasing interest owing to their wide use in sensing, imaging and medical applications. In this report we demonstrate bottom-up engineering of size distribution of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) by dewetting a thin Au film deposited on a single crystal diamond (SCD) substrate with self-organized surface structures induced by ion beam etching (IBE). 14 angstrom of gold was sputtered and dewetted on SCD substrates with and without self-organized nano-patterns. AuNPs on structured substrates are smaller and show narrower size distribution (9.11 +/- 2.17 nm, compared to a reference sample being 9.96 +/- 2.94 nm). The center wavelength of the extinction is red-shifted to 584 nm compared to 574 nm for AuNPs on a smooth surface.