Abstract

We present an outline of the fabrication method [1] for an inverted opal structure which consists of an fee arrangement of air spheres in titanium dioxide (TiO2). The structure was formed by a modification of a previous method [2] in which a solution of latex spheres was dried under an infra-red lamp and infiltrated with titanium ethoxide. The composite was then calcined at 575°C during which the precursor was converted to TiO2 and the latex spheres burnt away, leaving an ordered lattice of air spheres in titania.

© 2000 IEEE