Selective and deterministic assembly of particles is fundamentally significant for manufacturing functional devices. However, it is still a challenge to precisely and facilely manipulate particles of different sizes into different assembly patterns. Herein, a method is presented to achieve precise control over the formation of binary or ternary particle size-sorted assemblies. We investigate the assembly process of particles by capillary confinement and show that different size-sorted assemblies of multiple components can be realized by tuning the templated dewetting. By controlling the dewetting direction, receding contact angle, and pillar height of the template, assembly of dual-ring patterns, "comet" structures, and patterns with component separation are regulated. These structures can be further diversified by tuning the composition of the particles. This approach is general for particle assemblies of different sizes and materials, which will be significant for the fabrication of printed micro/nanohybrid devices.
Keywords: capillary assembly; confinement; dewetting; patterns; size-sorting.
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