Fabrication, Properties and Applications of Gold Nanopillars

Gold nanopillars are vertically aligned, standing nanostructures that exhibit versatile properties such as electrical conductivity, mechanical stability, biocompatibility, and plasmonic properties. These attributes are favorable for many applications in biosensing or as plasmonic devices. During the last decades several techniques have been established for the fabrication of gold nanopillars, ranging from template-assisted synthesis and focused ion beam milling to nanoimprinting and other less well-known methods. Depending on the fabrication approach, gold nanopillars can be produced with diameters as small as 15 nm and heights up to several micrometers, thus offering very high aspect ratios. Here we review the different fabrication methods and various properties of gold nanopillars, as well as their current applications and potential for future applications.