Drying-mediated self-assembly of ordered or hierarchically ordered micro- and sub-micro scale structures and their uses as multifunctional materials

摘要

Methods, apparatus, and systems of fabricating ordered or hierarchically ordered small-scale structures (e.g. micro- or sub-micro size) without the need for lithographic techniques or external fields. The methods use irreversible solvent evaporation to deposit the solute on a surface. A spherical lens is brought down into contact with the droplet. By selection and control of one or more relevant parameters, various characteristics or features of the resulting structures can be controlled. Nano-scale structures or materials can be formed or included in the micro- or sub-micro-scale formed structures. The nano-scale structures or materials can self-assembly in hierarchical order by selection and control of certain process parameters.