Sequential Brush Grafting for Chemically and Dimensionally Tolerant Directed Self-Assembly of Block Copolymers.

ABSTRACT: We report a method for the directed self-assembly (DSA) of block copolymers (BCPs) in which a first BCP film deploys homopolymer brushes, or "inks", that sequentially graft onto the substrate's surface via the interpenetration of polymer molecules during the thermal annealing of the polymer film on top of existing polymer brushes. By selecting polymer "inks" with the desired chemistry and appropriate relative molecular weights, it is possible to use brush interpenetration as a powerful technique to generate self-registered chemical contrast patterns at the same frequency as that of the domains of the BCP. The result is a process with a higher tolerance to dimensional and chemical imperfections in the guiding patterns, which we showcase by implementing DSA using homopolymer brushes f

SUBMITTER: Chang BS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9837782 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature