Massively parallel assembly of composite structures using depletion attraction

摘要

Producing composite structures includes dispersing a first plurality of objects, a second plurality of objects, and a third plurality of objects in a fluid, the third and second plurality of objects having an average maximum dimension that is smaller than the first plurality of objects The first plurality of objects comprise a first, a second, a third and a forth object, each having mating surface regions The first and second objects' mating surfaces are complimentary and the third and forth objects' mating surfaces are complementary The first and second object aggregate together in response to the dispersing of the second plurality of objects in the fluid due to a depletion attraction between the first and the second object The third and forth object aggregate together in response to dispersing the third plurality of objects in the fluid due to a depletion attraction between the third and the fourth object.

主权项

1. A method of producing composite structures, comprising:
dispersing a first plurality of objects in a fluid; dispersing a second plurality of objects in said fluid, said second plurality of objects having an average maximum dimension that is smaller than an average maximum dimension of said first plurality of objects; and dispersing a third plurality of objects in said fluid, said third plurality of objects having an average maximum dimension that is smaller than an average maximum dimension of said first plurality of objects, wherein a first object of said first plurality of objects is lithographically produced such that it has a first mating surface region comprising a convex surface portion and a second object of said first plurality of objects is lithographically produced such that it has a first complementary mating surface region comprising a concave surface portion that is complementary with said convex surface portion, wherein a third object of said first plurality of objects has a second mating surface region and a fourth object of said first plurality of objects has a second complementary mating surface region, wherein said first object and said second object aggregate together such that said first mating surface region of said first object is arranged proximate said first complementary mating surface region of said second object in response to said dispersing said second plurality of objects in said fluid due to a depletion attraction between said first and said second object, and wherein said third object and said fourth object aggregate together such that said second mating surface region of said third object is arranged proximate said second complementary mating surface region of said fourth object in response to said dispersing said third plurality of objects in said fluid due to a depletion attraction between said third and said fourth object.