Patent ID: 8268725

Claim:
A method for forming a plurality of parallel self-organized lines on a target substrate, the method comprising: disposing a solution puddle on the target substrate and arranging a control substrate adjacent to the target substrate such that an edge of the control substrate is submerged beneath a liquid/gas interface defined at an upper surface of the solution puddle, wherein the solution puddle includes a solute disposed in a liquid solvent, the solute consists of particles having an average size that is smaller than one micron, and the solvent consisting of liquid molecules having a stronger attraction to both the control substrate and the target substrate than to themselves such that: a peripheral boundary of the solution puddle conforms to a shape of the control substrate and a portion of the peripheral boundary is disposed over a first region of the target substrate, and said upper surface forms an upward curving waterline on a surface region of the control structure; causing the solvent to evaporate at a predetermined rate such that said peripheral boundary of the solution puddle recedes toward the control structure and a first residual portion of said solute forms said first self-organized line along the receding peripheral boundary of said solution puddle; displacing the peripheral boundary of the solution puddle relative to the target substrate such that the peripheral boundary is disposed over a second region of the target substrate, said second region being parallel to the first region; and causing the solvent to evaporate at the predetermined rate such that said peripheral boundary of the solution puddle recedes toward the control structure and a second residual portion of said solute forms a second self-organized line along the receding peripheral boundary of said solution puddle.