Figure 1. Illustration of the fabrication of self-assembled Au nanostructures on 4H-SiC (0001) by the control of annealing temperature (AT) with various Au deposition amounts (DAs).

(a) Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image (5 × 5 μm²) of a sample annealed at 600 °C with the 15 nm DA. (a-1)–(a-2) SEM images of a hillocks (1.6 × 1.6 μm²) and pinholes (1.3 × 1.3 μm²). (b) Atomic force microscope (AFM) side-view of hexagonal Au nano-crystals at 850 °C (5 × 5 μm²). (b-1) AFM top-view (1 × 1 μm²) of a hexagonal nano-crystal. (c,d) Dome-shaped Au nano-particles fabricated with a DA of 3 nm at 800 °C and 900 °C. (c,d) AFM top-views of 500 × 500 nm².