The assembly of oxide and non-oxide microcomponents from colloidal building blocks is central to a broad array of applications, including sensors, optical devices, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), as well as to fundamental studies of granular materials. Progress in these areas has been hindered by the availability of colloidal microcomponents of precisely size, shape, and composition. Hence, there is tremendous interest in developing new patterning methods for creating preciesely tailored microcomponents composed of colloidal building blocks, amorphous or polycrystalline oxides, and silicon.
