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Hong JW, Chang JH, Chang ICY, Sun YS. Phase behavior in thin films of weakly segregated block copolymer/homopolymer blends. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:9189-9197. [PMID: 34586138 DOI: 10.1039/d1sm01005k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
We have demonstrated the phase behavior of substrate-supported films of a symmetric weakly segregated polystyrene-block-poly (methyl methacrylate), P(S-b-MMA), block copolymer and its blends with homopolymer polystyrene (PS) at different compositions. Upon increasing the content of added PS in the blends, lamellae (L), perforated layers (PL), double gyroid (DG) and cylinders (C) are obtained in sequence for films. Among these nanodomains, PL and DG only exist in a narrow ϕPS region (ϕPS denotes the volume fraction of PS). At ϕPS = 64%, tuning film thickness and annealing temperature can produce parallel PL or DG with {121}DG lattice planes being parallel to the substrate surface. The effects of annealing temperature and film thickness on the formation of PL and DG are examined. In thin films with n ≈ 3 (n denotes the ratio of initial film thickness to inter-domain spacing), the PL phase solely exists regardless of temperature. However, for thick films with n ≈ 6 and 10, thermal annealing at the most accessible temperature produces films containing both PL and DG of various fractions, but a low temperature tends to favor a greater fraction of PL. The PL phase becomes the only discernible phase if thick films are shortly annealed at 230 °C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Wen Hong
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan.
| | - Jung-Hong Chang
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan.
| | - Iris Ching-Ya Chang
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan.
| | - Ya-Sen Sun
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan.
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Jangizehi A, Schmid F, Besenius P, Kremer K, Seiffert S. Defects and defect engineering in Soft Matter. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:10809-10859. [PMID: 33306078 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm01371d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Soft matter covers a wide range of materials based on linear or branched polymers, gels and rubbers, amphiphilic (macro)molecules, colloids, and self-assembled structures. These materials have applications in various industries, all highly important for our daily life, and they control all biological functions; therefore, controlling and tailoring their properties is crucial. One way to approach this target is defect engineering, which aims to control defects in the material's structure, and/or to purposely add defects into it to trigger specific functions. While this approach has been a striking success story in crystalline inorganic hard matter, both for mechanical and electronic properties, and has also been applied to organic hard materials, defect engineering is rarely used in soft matter design. In this review, we present a survey on investigations on defects and/or defect engineering in nine classes of soft matter composed of liquid crystals, colloids, linear polymers with moderate degree of branching, hyperbranched polymers and dendrimers, conjugated polymers, polymeric networks, self-assembled amphiphiles and proteins, block copolymers and supramolecular polymers. This overview proposes a promising role of this approach for tuning the properties of soft matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Jangizehi
- Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Department of Chemistry, Duesbergweg 10-14, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
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Wan X, Gao T, Zhang L, Lin J. Ordering kinetics of lamella-forming block copolymers under the guidance of various external fields studied by dynamic self-consistent field theory. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2017; 19:6707-6720. [DOI: 10.1039/c6cp08726d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
We theoretically engineer a new scheme, which integrates a permanent field for pattern registration and a dynamic external field for defect annihilation, to direct the self-assembly of block copolymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomin Wan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering
- Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education
- School of Materials Science and Engineering
- East China University of Science and Technology
| | - Tong Gao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering
- Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education
- School of Materials Science and Engineering
- East China University of Science and Technology
| | - Liangshun Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering
- Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education
- School of Materials Science and Engineering
- East China University of Science and Technology
| | - Jiaping Lin
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering
- Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education
- School of Materials Science and Engineering
- East China University of Science and Technology
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Abstract
Nanomanufacturing, the commercially scalable and economically sustainable mass production of nanoscale materials and devices, represents the tangible outcome of the nanotechnology revolution. In contrast to those used in nanofabrication for research purposes, nanomanufacturing processes must satisfy the additional constraints of cost, throughput, and time to market. Taking silicon integrated circuit manufacturing as a baseline, we consider the factors involved in matching processes with products, examining the characteristics and potential of top-down and bottom-up processes, and their combination. We also discuss how a careful assessment of the way in which function can be made to follow form can enable high-volume manufacturing of nanoscale structures with the desired useful, and exciting, properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Alexander Liddle
- Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899
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5
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Directed self-assembly of block copolymers by chemical or topographical guiding patterns: Optimizing molecular architecture, thin-film properties, and kinetics. Prog Polym Sci 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2015.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Pandav G, Durand WJ, Ellison CJ, Willson CG, Ganesan V. Directed self assembly of block copolymers using chemical patterns with sidewall guiding lines, backfilled with random copolymer brushes. SOFT MATTER 2015; 11:9107-9114. [PMID: 26411259 DOI: 10.1039/c5sm01951f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Recently, alignment of block copolymer domains has been achieved using a topographically patterned substrate with a sidewall preferential to one of the blocks. This strategy has been suggested as an option to overcome the patterning resolution challenges facing chemoepitaxy strategies, which utilize chemical stripes with a width of about half the period of block copolymer to orient the equilibrium morphologies. In this work, single chain in mean field simulation methodology was used to study the self assembly of symmetric block copolymers on topographically patterned substrates with sidewall interactions. Random copolymer brushes grafted to the background region (space between patterns) were modeled explicitly. The effects of changes in pattern width, film thicknesses and strength of sidewall interaction on the resulting morphologies were examined and the conditions which led to perpendicular morphologies required for lithographic applications were identified. A number of density multiplication schemes were studied in order to gauge the efficiency with which the sidewall pattern can guide the self assembly of block copolymers. The results indicate that such a patterning technique can potentially utilize pattern widths of the order of one-two times the period of block copolymer and still be able to guide ordering of the block copolymer domains up to 8X density multiplication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunja Pandav
- The University of Texas at Austin, McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - William J Durand
- The University of Texas at Austin, McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Christopher J Ellison
- The University of Texas at Austin, McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - C Grant Willson
- The University of Texas at Austin, McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, Austin, TX 78712, USA. and The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Chemistry, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Venkat Ganesan
- The University of Texas at Austin, McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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Mahadevapuram N, Mitra I, Bozhchenko A, Strzalka J, Stein GE. In-plane and out-of-plane defectivity in thin films of lamellar block copolymers. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/polb.23937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nikhila Mahadevapuram
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; University of Houston; Houston Texas 77204-4004
| | - Indranil Mitra
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; University of Houston; Houston Texas 77204-4004
| | - Alona Bozhchenko
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; University of Houston; Houston Texas 77204-4004
| | - Joseph Strzalka
- Argonne National Laboratory; X-Ray Science Division; Argonne Illinois 60439
| | - Gila E. Stein
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; University of Houston; Houston Texas 77204-4004
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Murphy JN, Harris KD, Buriak JM. Automated Defect and Correlation Length Analysis of Block Copolymer Thin Film Nanopatterns. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0133088. [PMID: 26207990 PMCID: PMC4514826 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Line patterns produced by lamellae- and cylinder-forming block copolymer (BCP) thin films are of widespread interest for their potential to enable nanoscale patterning over large areas. In order for such patterning methods to effectively integrate with current technologies, the resulting patterns need to have low defect densities, and be produced in a short timescale. To understand whether a given polymer or annealing method might potentially meet such challenges, it is necessary to examine the evolution of defects. Unfortunately, few tools are readily available to researchers, particularly those engaged in the synthesis and design of new polymeric systems with the potential for patterning, to measure defects in such line patterns. To this end, we present an image analysis tool, which we have developed and made available, to measure the characteristics of such patterns in an automated fashion. Additionally we apply the tool to six cylinder-forming polystyrene-block-poly(2-vinylpyridine) polymers thermally annealed to explore the relationship between the size of each polymer and measured characteristics including line period, line-width, defect density, line-edge roughness (LER), line-width roughness (LWR), and correlation length. Finally, we explore the line-edge roughness, line-width roughness, defect density, and correlation length as a function of the image area sampled to determine each in a more rigorous fashion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey N. Murphy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT), Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kenneth D. Harris
- National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT), Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jillian M. Buriak
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT), Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Li W, Müller M. Defects in the Self-Assembly of Block Copolymers and Their Relevance for Directed Self-Assembly. Annu Rev Chem Biomol Eng 2015; 6:187-216. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-061114-123209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Block copolymer self-assembly provides a platform for fabricating dense, ordered nanostructures by encoding information in the chemical architecture of multicomponent macromolecules. Depending on the volume fraction of the components and chain topology, these macromolecules form a variety of spatially periodic microphases in thermodynamic equilibrium. The kinetics of self-assembly, however, often results in initial morphologies with defects, and the subsequent ordering is protracted. Different strategies have been devised to direct the self-assembly of copolymer materials by external fields to align and perfect the self-assembled nanostructures. Understanding and controlling the thermodynamics of defects, their response to external fields, and their dynamics is important because applications in microelectronics either require extremely low defect densities or aim at generating specific defects at predetermined locations to fabricate irregular device-oriented structures for integrated circuits. In this review, we discuss defect morphologies of block copolymers in the bulk and thin films, highlighting (a) analogies to and differences from defects in other crystalline materials, (b) the stability of defects and their dynamics, and (c) the influence of external fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihua Li
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Georg-August University, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Macromolecular Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Marcus Müller
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Georg-August University, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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Diederichsen KM, Brow RR, Stoykovich MP. Percolating transport and the conductive scaling relationship in lamellar block copolymers under confinement. ACS NANO 2015; 9:2465-2476. [PMID: 25756653 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.5b01321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The topology and transport behavior of the lamellar morphology self-assembled by block copolymers in thin films are shown to depend on the length scale over which they are characterized and can be described by percolation in a network under confinement. Gold nanowires replicating the lamellar morphology were fabricated via self-assembled poly(styrene-block-methyl methacrylate) thin films and a lift-off pattern transfer process. The lamellar morphology exhibits long-range connectivity (macroscopic scale); however, characterization of electrical conduction over confined areas (5-500 μm) demonstrates a discrete probability of disconnection that arises due to the underlying network structure and a lack of self-similarity at these microscale dimensions. In particular, it is proved that the lamellar network morphology under confinement has a conductance that is nonlinear with channel length or width. The experimental results are discussed in terms of percolation theory, and a simple, two-dimensional Monte Carlo model is shown to predict the key trends in the network topology and conductance in lamellar block copolymers, including the dependencies on composition, extent of spatial confinement, and confinement geometry. These results highlight the need to exquisitely control or engineer the self-assembled nanostructured pathways formed by block copolymers to ensure consistent device performance for any application that depends upon percolating material, ionic, or electrical transport, especially when confined in any dimension. It is also concluded that the two most promising approaches for enhancing conductivity in block copolymer materials may be achieved either at the limits of (1) perfectly oriented, single-crystalline or (2) high defect density, polycrystalline microphase separated morphologies and that nanostructured systems with intermediate defect densities would be detrimental to transport in confined systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle M Diederichsen
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Ryan R Brow
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Mark P Stoykovich
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
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Kim BH, Park SJ, Jin HM, Kim JY, Son SW, Kim MH, Koo CM, Shin J, Kim JU, Kim SO. Anomalous rapid defect annihilation in self-assembled nanopatterns by defect melting. NANO LETTERS 2015; 15:1190-1196. [PMID: 25590438 DOI: 10.1021/nl5042935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Molecular self-assembly commonly suffers from dense structural defect formation. Spontaneous defect annihilation in block copolymer (BCP) self-assembly is particularly retarded due to significant energy barrier for polymer chain diffusion and structural reorganization. Here we present localized defect melting induced by blending short neutral random copolymer chain as an unusual method to promote the defect annihilation in BCP self-assembled nanopatterns. Chemically neutral short random copolymer chains blended with BCPs are specifically localized and induce local disordered states at structural defect sites in the self-assembled nanopatterns. Such localized "defect melting" relieves the energy penalty for polymer diffusion and morphology reorganization such that spontaneous defect annihilation by mutual coupling is anomalously accelerated upon thermal annealing. Interestingly, neutral random copolymer chain blending also causes morphology-healing self-assembly behavior that can generate large-area highly ordered 10 nm scale nanopattern even upon poorly defined defective prepatterns. Underlying mechanisms of the unusual experimental findings are thoroughly investigated by three-dimensional self-consistent field theory calculation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bong Hoon Kim
- Center for Nanomaterials and Chemical Reactions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS) , Daejeon 305-701, Republic of Korea
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Kim BH, Byeon KJ, Kim JY, Kim J, Jin HM, Cho JY, Jeong SJ, Shin J, Lee H, Kim SO. Negative-tone block copolymer lithography by in situ surface chemical modification. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2014; 10:4207-4212. [PMID: 24912807 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201400971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2014] [Revised: 05/19/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Negative-tone block copolymer (BCP) lithography based on in situ surface chemical modification is introduced as a highly efficient, versatile self-assembled nanopatterning. BCP blends films consisting of end-functionalized low molecular weight poly(styrene-ran-methyl methacrylate) and polystyrene-block-Poly(methyl methacylate) can produce surface vertical BCP nanodomains on various substrates without prior surface chemical treatment. Simple oxygen plasma treatment is employed to activate surface functional group formation at various substrates, where the end-functionalized polymers can be covalently bonded during the thermal annealing of BCP thin films. The covalently bonded brush layer mediates neutral interfacial condition for vertical BCP nanodomain alignment. This straightforward approach for high aspect ratio, vertical self-assembled nanodomain formation facilitates single step, site-specific BCP nanopatterning widely useful for various substrates. Moreover, this approach is compatible with directed self-assembly approaches to produce device oriented laterally ordered nanopatterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bong Hoon Kim
- Center for Nanomaterials and Chemical Reactions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 305-701, Republic of Korea
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Ceresoli M, Ferrarese Lupi F, Seguini G, Sparnacci K, Gianotti V, Antonioli D, Laus M, Boarino L, Perego M. Evolution of lateral ordering in symmetric block copolymer thin films upon rapid thermal processing. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2014; 25:275601. [PMID: 24960172 DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/25/27/275601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
This work reports experimental findings about the evolution of lateral ordering of lamellar microdomains in symmetric PS-b-PMMA thin films on featureless substrates. Phase separation and microdomain evolution are explored in a rather wide range of temperatures (190-340 °C) using a rapid thermal processing (RTP) system. The maximum processing temperature that enables the ordering of block copolymers without introducing any significant degradation of macromolecules is identified. The reported results clearly indicate that the range of accessible temperatures in the processing of these self-assembling materials is mainly limited by the thermal instability of the grafted random copolymer layer, which starts to degrade at T > 300 °C, inducing detachment of the block copolymer thin film. For T ⩽ 290 °C, clear dependence of correlation length (ξ) values on temperature is observed. The highest level of lateral order achievable in the current system in a quasi-equilibrium condition was obtained at the upper processing temperature limit after an annealing time as short as 60 s.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Ceresoli
- Laboratorio MDM, IMM-CNR, Via C. Olivetti 2, Agrate Brianza 20864, Italy. Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 16, Milano 20133, Italy
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