Colloidal crystal-assisted lithography for preparation of 2D patterned arrays

In this paper we report our recent work on preparing two dimensional patterned microstructure arrays using three dimensional colloidal crystals as templates, namely colloidal crystal-assisted lithography. Two alternative processes are described and involved in the colloidal crystal-assisted lithography. One is based upon imprinting the polymer films with three dimensional silica colloidal crystals, and the other chemically depositing Ag microstructures on Au substrates covered by polymer colloidal crystals. By varying the experimental conditions in the colloidal crystal-assisted lithography process, we can intentionally control the morphologies of the resulting microstructures. The resultant Ag-coated Au substrates can be used as surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrates, and would provide an ideal system for the mechanism study of surface-enhanced Raman scattering.