Methods and systems for large area and low defect monolayer ordering of microspheres and nanospheres

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022193718-A1
Application number	US-202117558996-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 22, 2021
Priority date	Dec 22, 2020
Publication date	Jun 23, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

In an example, a method including dispensing a liquid onto a first portion of a surface of a substrate and dispensing a solution comprising colloidal spheres onto a second portion of the surface of the substrate. The method additionally includes agitating the colloidal spheres to disperse the colloidal spheres along the first portion and the second portion of the surface of the substrate and directing air flow above the colloidal spheres inducing rotation of the colloidal spheres. In another example, a method includes positioning a retaining ring on a surface of a liquid above a substrate below the surface of the liquid and dispensing a solution comprising colloidal spheres onto the surface of the liquid within a surface area of the retaining ring. The method further includes agitating the surface of the liquid and the colloidal spheres to disperse the colloidal spheres along the surface area of the retaining ring.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of assembling a colloidal crystal, the method comprising:
dispensing a liquid onto a first portion of a surface of a substrate; dispensing a solution comprising colloidal spheres onto a second portion of the surface of the substrate; agitating the colloidal spheres so as to disperse the colloidal spheres along the first portion and the second portion of the surface of the substrate; and directing air flow above the colloidal spheres inducing rotation of the colloidal spheres.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a first substrate, and the method further comprises:
transferring the colloidal spheres from the first substrate to a second substrate.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the liquid is a first liquid, wherein the first substrate and second substrate are mounted on a platform, and wherein transferring the colloidal spheres from the first substrate to the second substrate comprises:
adding a second liquid to the platform, such that the colloidal spheres float on the second liquid above the first substrate; and moving the colloidal spheres along the surface of the second liquid such that the colloidal spheres are above the second substrate.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising a retaining ring positioned on the surface of the first substrate, and wherein the first portion and second portion of the surface of the first substrate are at least partially surrounded by the retaining ring.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein moving the colloidal spheres along the surface of the second liquid such that the colloidal spheres are above the second substrate comprises moving the retaining ring along the along the surface of the second liquid such that the retaining ring and the colloidal spheres are above the second substrate.

6 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising removing the second liquid from the platform.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein agitating the spheres comprises applying acoustic agitation.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein agitating the spheres comprises mechanical agitation of a surface of the liquid.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the colloidal spheres are nanospheres.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the colloidal spheres are microspheres.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the colloidal spheres comprises polystyrene.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the solution comprising colloidal spheres also comprises at least one of: Acetone, Isopropanol, Methanol, Ethanol, Ethylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Glycerol, and Deionized water.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid comprises deionized water.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the surface of the substrate comprises an edge of the surface of the substrate.

15 . A method of assembling a colloidal crystal, the method comprising:
positioning a retaining ring on a surface of a liquid above a substrate below the surface of the liquid; dispensing a solution comprising colloidal spheres onto the surface of the liquid within a surface area of the retaining ring; agitating the surface of the liquid and the colloidal spheres to disperse the colloidal spheres along the surface area of the retaining ring; and removing at least a portion of the liquid to transfer the retaining ring and the colloidal spheres onto a surface of the substrate.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising
exposing the colloidal spheres to a solvent vapor.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein agitating the surface of the liquid and the colloidal spheres comprises:
applying a paddle to the surface of the liquid by periodically moving the paddle along a vertical path.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein agitating the surface of the liquid and the colloidal spheres comprises:
periodically moving a paddle along a horizontal path along the surface of the liquid.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein agitating the surface of the liquid and the colloidal spheres comprises agitating the surface of the liquid and the colloidal spheres by way of an acoustic exciter.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the retaining ring comprises a notch extending from a top portion of the ring to a bottom portion of the ring, and wherein dispensing a solution comprising colloidal spheres onto the surface of the liquid within a surface area of the retaining ring comprises dispensing the solution onto the notch of the retaining ring.

Assignees

• Univ Illinois

Inventors

• Sievers Dane
• Grewal Sartaj
• Janavicius Lukas
• Michaels Julian

Classifications

• B82Y40/00

  Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures · CPC title

• B05D1/20 Primary

  substances to be applied floating on a fluid · CPC title

• B05D1/208

  After-treatment of monomolecular films · CPC title

• B05D3/0406

  the gas being air · CPC title

• B05D2401/32

  applied as powders · CPC title