Stress-Induced Directed Self-Assembly of Perpendicularly Oriented Block Copolymer Lamellae for Lithographic Density Multiplication.

ABSTRACT: This work demonstrates a stress-induced directed self-assembly (DSA) approach to produce unidirectionally oriented perpendicular lamellae in block copolymer (BCP) thin films, achieving a smaller line width and a higher aspect-ratio for pattern transfer with lithographic density multiplication. A free-standing polystyrene-block-polydimethylsiloxane (PS-b-PDMS) thin film on a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grid is thermally annealed under high vacuum inside an in situ, temperature-resolved TEM instrument. The high vacuum reduces the surface tension discrepancy between PS and PDMS at high temperatures, creating neutral surfaces at both top and bottom sides of the thin film and facilitating the formation of film-spanning perpendicular lamellae via self-alignment during th

SUBMITTER: Panda AS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12516688 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature