Dynamics, crystallization and structures in colloid spin coating

TL;DR

This review explores the dynamics and formation of colloidal structures in spin coating, highlighting the emergence of long-range orientational order and the ability to tailor structures using external fields.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of theoretical and experimental insights into colloid spin coating, emphasizing the unique long-range orientational correlations and structure control methods.

Findings

Long-range orientational correlations emerge in colloid spin coating.

Partially-ordered structures can be tailored with electric or magnetic fields.

These structures serve as models for defective solids and templates for materials.

Abstract

Spin coating is an out-of-equilibrium technique for producing polymer films and colloidal crystals quickly and reproducibly. In this review, we present an overview of theoretical and experimental studies of the spin coating of colloidal suspensions. The dynamics of the spin coating process is discussed first, and we present insights from both theory and experiment. A key difference between spin coating with polymer solutions and with monodisperse colloidal suspensions is the emergence of long range (centimeter scale) orientational correlations in the latter. We discuss experiments in different physical regimes that shed light on the many unusual partially-ordered structures that have long-range orientational order, but no long-range translational order. The nature of these structures can be tailored by adding electric or magnetic fields during the spin coating procedure. These partially-ordered structures can be considered as model systems for studying the fundamentals of poorly crystalline and defect-rich solids, and they can also serve as templates for patterned and/or porous optical and magnetic materials.