NOVELTY - The method comprises providing a particle suspension comprising templating particles (430) and a soluble matrix precursor (440), co-depositing the templating particles and the matrix precursor on a surface as a composite assembly comprised of templating particles with an interstitial matrix, and removing (450) the templating particles to provide an inverse porous structure. The templating particles are organic polymers, silicates and metal oxides, have a diameter of 2-500 mu m and a content of 0.10-3.0 vol.%, are monodispersed in size, and comprise particles of different sizes.    USE - The method is useful for making a composite for making an inverse opal porous layer, which is useful in devices such as a photonic device, a sensor, a fuel cell, a drug release device and a catalyst support and in a scaffold for tissue engineering (all claimed).    ADVANTAGE - The method easily and energy efficiently produces highly-ordered composite with high surface area, porous accessibility, high sensitivity and reduced defects.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - The method comprises providing a particle suspension comprising templating particles (430) and a soluble matrix precursor (440), co-depositing the templating particles and the matrix precursor on a surface as a composite assembly comprised of templating particles with an interstitial matrix, and removing (450) the templating particles to provide an inverse porous structure. The templating particles are organic polymers, silicates and metal oxides, have a diameter of 2-500 mu m and a content of 0.10-3.0 vol.%, are monodispersed in size, and comprise particles of different sizes. The composite assembly is a periodic, closepacked, defect-free structure with long-range order. The method of depositing comprises evaporative self-assembly, and is sedimentation, evaporative techniques, shear flow reactions, spin-coating and filtration. The soluble matrix precursor is metal oxide precursors, calcium phosphate precursors, soluble organic polymers, biopolymers and polymer precursors. The concentration of templating particles and soluble matrix precursor in the particle suspension is selected to provide a crack-free composite assembly that is free of an overlayer of interstitial matrix material. The smaller templating particles are present on the range of magnitude smaller than the larger templating particles. An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is included for a composite.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The diagram shows a schematic view of a two-step process for making inverse colloidal crystal structures.    Composite film (410)    Templating particle (430)    Soluble matrix precursor (440)    Removing the template. (450)