Application of Thermal Gradients to Achieve Orientational Order in Block Copolymer Thin Films

Published

August 18, 2009

Author(s)

Nathaniel J. Fredin, Brian Berry, Kevin G. Yager, Alamgir Karim, Sushil K. Satija, Deanna Pickel, Ronald L. Jones

Abstract

The development of methods that permit control over the long-range order and orientation of microdomains in block copolymer (BCP) thin films for bottom-up approaches to nanoscale surface patterning is of great interest for many applications, including microelectronics and data storage devices. One such method recently reported is a type of zone refinement called cold zone annealing (CZA), in which the BCP film is passed across a thermal gradient, was shown to result in long-range orientational order. CZA is a versatile technique that can be combined with other approaches, such as chemical or topographic substrate patterning. Here, we utilize a combination of Rotational Small Angle Neutron Scattering (R-SANS) and specular neutron reflectivity (SNR) to investigate the mechanism and driving forces behind CZA. These unique techniques are used to characterize the 3-dimensional structural properties of zone annealed BCP films, revealing the previously unreported role of thermal gradients in controlling the kinetics and orientation of block copolymer films.

Proceedings Title

238th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, Fall 2009, Division of Polymer Materials: Science & Engineering

Volume

101

Conference Dates

August 16-20, 2009

Conference Location

Washington, DC, US

Conference Title

238th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, Fall 2009

Pub Type

Conferences

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Keywords

block copolymer lithography, polymer thin films, neutron scattering, data storage, microelectronics, nanotechnology

Citation

Fredin, N. , Berry, B. , Yager, K. , Karim, A. , Satija, S. , Pickel, D. and Jones, R. (2009), Application of Thermal Gradients to Achieve Orientational Order in Block Copolymer Thin Films, 238th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, Fall 2009, Division of Polymer Materials: Science & Engineering , Washington, DC, US, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=902029 (Accessed October 11, 2024)