Simple Rsva-Ss Process For Directing Self-Assembled Nanostructures In Block Polymer Thin Films

Thomas H. EppsThe nanoscale self-assembly of block polymers (BP) has spurred interest for the generation of nanopattern arrays essential to advanced nanotechnologies. However, applications such as nanolithography typically require high levels of domain alignment achieved through a plethora of techniques with varying degrees of success and practical limitations, inhibiting the adoption of functional BP nanostructures into industrial processes. In this work, a new method termed raster solvent vapor annealing with soft shear (RSVA-SS) was developed and used to align a cylinder-forming triblock terpolymer. This technique, consisting of a solvent vapor delivery nozzle, a poly(dimethylsiloxane) shearing pad, and a motorized stage, was shown to spatially control the orientation of polymer nanostructures and generate a variety of patterns such as straight lines, curves, crossed lines, dashes, and T-junctions. Additionally, the use of a wide slit solvent nozzle demonstrates the scalability of the RSVA-SS process for industrial applications. RSVA-SS promises a facile method for aligning BP nanostructures conducive to future research in nanotechnology without the necessity of substrate pre-patterning.Chemical Engineerin