Self-Assembly of Colloidal Spheres toward Fabrication of Hierarchical and Periodic Nanostructures for Technological Applications

The current research status on the self-assembly of colloidal spheres for the fabrication of various hierarchical and periodic nanostructures is summarized, in which these structures exhibit unique properties for different technological applications in plasmonics, surface-enhanced Raman scattering, solar cells, and others. The fundamentals of colloidal self-assembly are first introduced. After which, the functions of the obtained monolayer of colloidal spheres (e.g., nanosphere monolayer) to act as the patterned mask for the subsequent pattern transfer onto underlying substrates are thoroughly discussed. In employing these nanosphere lithography techniques and fabrication templates, the focus switches to the successive construction of numerous nanostructures and their promising utilizations in a wide range of application domains. Finally, the current challenges and future opportunities of colloidal self-assembly are presented. This review not only aims to provide further insights for researchers to enable the ingenious designs of nanostructures, but also to facilitate the exciting research and development utilizing colloidal self-assembly for future manufacturing technologies.