Grain-Boundary-Induced Alignment of Block Copolymer Thin Films

• Published in: Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 103
• Main Authors: Gottlieb, Steven, Fernández-Regúlez, Marta, Lorenzoni, Matteo, Evangelio, Laura, Perez-Murano, Francesc
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 04.01.2020; MDPI
• Subjects: afm; Alignment; Atomic force microscopy; Block copolymers; Boundaries; Copolymers; directed self-assembly; Electron beams; Grain boundaries; Lamellae; mechanical removal; Morphology; nanolithography; Polymers; Polymethylmethacrylate; Polystyrene; Polystyrene resins; Process parameters; Thin films; AFM; block copolymers; nanolithography; grain boundaries; mechanical removal; directed self-assembly

We present and discuss the capability of grain boundaries to induce order in block copolymer thin films between horizontally and vertically assembled block copolymer grains. The system we use as a proof of principle is a thermally annealed 23.4 nm full-pitch lamellar Polystyrene-block-polymethylmeta...