Electro-colloidal lithography: a versatile approach combining colloidal particles and electrical fields for the fabrication of patterned polymer and metal films

We report a new soft lithography approach which only requires colloidal particles and tension generators. This process, named electro-colloidal lithography, is based on the behavior of colloidal assemblies submitted to electric fields generated by alternative current (AC) and direct current (DC). Its advantages are its low cost, fastness and easiness. As an illustration, hexagonal arrays of metal nano-rings, and hexagonal arrays of conductive holes into a contiguous or particle-made polymer matrix were produced. We show how to control separately and finely both the inter-structure separation and the structure morphology (diameter, height, thickness) in a very simple manner. Commercial colloidal particles (polystyrene beads) and synthesized colloidal particles (surfactant-made multilamellar vesicles) were both successfully tested for surface patterning showing the universality/adaptability of this technique.