We present a facile and reliable approach for the assembly of crack-free single-crystalline photonic crystals (PCs) with centimeter scale by the synergistic effects of substrate deformation and monomer infiltration/polymerization. The critical thickness of crack-free PCs is ∼5.6 μm, below which crack-free PCs can be fabricated on proper substrate. The co-assembling monomer infiltrates and polymerizes in the interstices of the colloidal spheres to form an elastic polymer network, which could lower the tensile stress generated from colloid shrinkage and strengthen the long range interactions of the colloidal spheres. Otherwise, the timely transformation of the flexible substrate releases the residual stress. This approach to centimeter-scale crack-free single-crystalline PCs will not only prompt the practical applications of PCs in high-performance optic devices, but also have great implications for the fabrication of crack-free thin films in other fields, such as wet clays, coating and ceramic industry.
- Jinming Zhou
- Jingxia Wang
- Lei Jiang
