Growth of gold nanoparticles on faceted O/Ru(11–20) nanotemplate

The growth of gold nanoparticles on the oxygen-covered faceted Ru(11–20) surface is investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), low energy electron diffraction (LEED), and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). By depositing gold onto the faceted surface held at room temperature, gold nanoparticles with regular spacings are fabricated. Gold nanoparticles are found to nucleate preferentially within valleys of the faceted surface. Our work demonstrates that the faceted metal surfaces are promising templates for the growth of metal nanoparticles.