Interfacial Convective Assembly for High Aspect Ratio Structures Without Surface Treatment

Abstract

A method for assembling colloidal particles onto a substrate surface through fluid transport. The method comprises placing a first fluid placed adjacent to the substrate surface, applying a colloidal dispersion on top of the first fluid layer and removal of the first fluid layer. The method is extremely versatile, and is especially useful in depositing colloidal materials in high aspect ratio channels and vias without the need for prior treatment of the surface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device comprising:
 a substrate having a surface which has not been plasma etched, and   a plurality of colloidal particles deposited on said surface.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the device is configured as a chemical, biochemical, electrical, electromagnetic field or frequency sensor, an information storage medium, an energy storage unit, an energy conversion cell, a display device, or an optical device. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is hydrophobic. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is hydrophilic. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of glass, organic polymer, inorganic polymer, ceramic, metal, metalloid, and layered combinations or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the surface is non-metallic and at least partly metallized. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the metallization is lithographically patterned. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the substrate comprises glass and the glass comprises a silicate, borate, phosphate, or a combination or mixture thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the substrate comprises an organic polymer and the organic polymer comprises a thermoplastic or thermoset resin or copolymer or mixture thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the substrate comprises an organic polymer and the organic polymer comprises a partially or perfluorinated polymer, polycarbonate, polyester, polyalkylene, polyacrylate or polymethacrylate, polystyrene, polyacrylonitrile, or a copolymer or mixture thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 5  wherein the substrate comprises an organic polymer and the organic polymer is electrically conductive or semi-conductive. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the organic polymer comprises poly(para-phenylene vinylene), polythiophene, poly(paraphenylene), polyquinoline, polypyrrole, polyacetylene, polyfluorene, or a copolymer or mixture thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the substrate comprises an inorganic polymer and the inorganic polymer comprises polysiloxane, silicate, aluminosilicate, or a combination or mixture thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the substrate comprises a ceramic and the ceramic comprises a metal or metalloid oxide, nitride, carbide, or a combination or mixture thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein the ceramic comprises aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, aluminum carbide, titanium oxide, titanium nitride, titanium carbide, silicon oxide, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, boron carbide, boron nitride, antimony oxide, iron oxide, magnesium oxide, nickel oxide, tin oxide, zinc oxide, zirconium oxide, or a combination or mixture thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the substrate comprises a metal and the metal comprises aluminum, gold, silver, platinum, cadmium, copper, nickel, titanium, or iron, or a combination or mixture thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the substrate comprises a metalloid and the metalloid comprises doped or undoped Si, CdS, CdSe, Ge, GaAs, GaAlAs, ZnS, InP, Ge, or a combination or mixture thereof, and wherein the substrate is conducting, semiconducting, or insulating. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the substrate comprises silica, polyethylene, or polycarbonate. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises patterned micro- or nano-dimensioned features. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein the patterned features have aspect ratios of 10 or more.