IBM Research - Zurich, Säumerstrasse 4, 8803 Rüschlikon, Switzerland.
Soft Matter. 2018 Apr 25;14(16):2978-2995. doi: 10.1039/c7sm02496g.
During the past decade, capillary assembly in topographical templates has evolved into an efficient method for the heterogeneous integration of micro- and nano-scale objects on a variety of surfaces. This assembly route has been applied to a large spectrum of materials of micrometer to nanometer dimensions, supplied in the form of aqueous colloidal suspensions. Using systems produced via bulk synthesis affords a huge flexibility in the choice of materials, holding promise for the realization of novel superior devices in the fields of optics, electronics and health, if they can be integrated into surface structures in a fast, simple, and reliable way. In this review, the working principles of capillary assembly and its fundamental process parameters are first presented and discussed. We then examine the latest developments in template design and tool optimization to perform capillary assembly in more robust and efficient ways. This is followed by a focus on the broad range of functional materials that have been realized using capillary assembly, from single components to large-scale heterogeneous multi-component assemblies. We then review current applications of capillary assembly, especially in optics, electronics, and in biomaterials. We conclude with a short summary and an outlook for future developments.
在过去的十年中，在地形模板中进行的毛细管组装已经发展成为一种在各种表面上异质集成微纳米尺度物体的有效方法。这种组装路线已经应用于各种尺寸在微米到纳米范围内的材料，这些材料以水性胶体悬浮液的形式供应。使用通过批量合成生产的系统在材料选择方面具有巨大的灵活性，如果能够以快速、简单和可靠的方式将其集成到表面结构中，有望在光学、电子和健康领域实现新型优越设备。在这篇综述中，首先介绍和讨论了毛细管组装的工作原理及其基本工艺参数。然后，我们研究了模板设计和工具优化的最新进展，以更稳健和有效的方式进行毛细管组装。接下来，我们专注于使用毛细管组装实现的广泛的功能材料，从单一组件到大规模异质多组件组件。然后，我们回顾了毛细管组装的当前应用，特别是在光学、电子和生物材料领域的应用。最后，我们进行了简短的总结并展望了未来的发展。
