Self-assembling three-dimensional colloidal photonic crystal structure with high crystalline quality

High-quality colloidal crystal multilayers were fabricated from aqueous solutions by the vertical deposition method. The effect of the evaporation temperature on the crystalline quality of colloidal crystals was carried out. It is found that with the increase of the evaporation temperature, the colloidal crystal shows an increasing tendency towards equilibrium face-centered-cubic phase, and the resulted sample also shows few dislocations and vacancies when the balance in the processes of nucleus formation, particle transport, and crystallization can be kept. However, with the further increase of the evaporation temperature (above 55 degreesC), a vast amount of defects appear in the crystal because the fast water evaporation rate, which results in a fast crystal growth rate, will spoil the balance. Optical measurements correspond well to the microstructure results. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.